Cambridgeshire police reveal surge in hoax calls made by children over half term

Police are calling for parents across Cambridgeshire to ‘educate their children’ after a surge in the number of hoax calls made over half term.

During last week's school holiday, Cambs Police received a 68% increase in such calls compared to the previous week when schools were open.

The force said the hoax calls included:

• A child reporting that a man had slapped him in the face and then stolen his scooter. The child hung up and when the call handler phoned him back, he admitted that his cousin stole his phone to make the prank call.

• A girl reporting that she and her brother had been tied up in an attic with their mouths superglued shut. Further checks and call-backs revealed that his was a hoax call.

• A young boy in a phone box reporting that two boys had 'kicked him with a knife'. He then giggled and hung up. CCTV showed him running away from the phone box completely unharmed.

A force spokesperson commented: “These are just a few examples of why it is so important to educate children from a young age about the dangers of making hoax calls to the police.

"Purposely misusing the emergency line not only wastes valuable police time and resources, but it is a criminal offence and could lead to hefty fines or up to six months in prison.”

They added: “If you need the police, we are always available to contact on 999. For everything else, please leave the 999 line free for genuine emergencies!”