Police anger over hoax call
A CHILD hoax caller wasted precious police time by pretending there had been a serious accident in Nuneaton.
The unknown youngster dialled 999 to report a road traffic collision in Kingswood Road but the call handler became suspicious when there was little detail given.
However, officers were still dispatched to the scene - only to find that there was no accident.
It has been revealed that the call, which was made at 3.51pm on Monday, came from a nonregistered pay and go mobile.
So while no action can be taken against the pintsized prankster, police have been keen to stress the consequences that making pretend emergency calls can have.
Officers poignantly posted on the North Warwickshire Cops page on Facebook: “Wasting our police time.’
Superintendent Martin Samuel, revealed the consequences of making hoax calls, saying: “Our emergency numbers provide a vital service for people to contact us regarding critical matters – but using it inappropriately detracts from all the cases where people genuinely need our help.
“Every call takes time to answer and assess properly for our response. For every misdirected call we receive, people who do require a police response may have to wait longer to have their call answered at the busiest times.”
Supt Samuel added: “Remember, it is a criminal offence to misuse the 999 emergency system, and it can have serious consequences.
“At the same time we would like to reassure the public that if you are in a critical situation, where you or another person is at risk of getting injured, being threatened, or a crime or is being committed, do not hesitate to dial 999, where our dedicated control room staff will help you. Remember: Active Crime, Dial 999.”