Police prank caller jailed for burping down phone

A man who repeatedly dialled 999 and belched down the phone line at police call handlers to alleviate his boredom has been jailed for 24 weeks.

Rhys Pilott, 28, of Crown Street, Peterborough, admitted causing a public nuisance on 24 September.

He also admitted persistently making use of a public communication network to cause annoyance, inconvenience or anxiety on 27 September.

At Peterborough Magistrates’ Court yesterday, prosecutor Anthea Harris said Pilott made 13 nuisance calls on the first occasion and 19 on the second. She said the calls were “easily distinguished” as the defendant was “audibly belching down the phone line”.

The court heard Pilott had 12 previous convictions for “similar type offending”, including three bomb hoaxes.