An 11-year-old boy from Peterborough was warned people face a £5,000 for misusing the 999 service after he called the emergency number to say he had been banned from his X-Box account.

Now residents are being warned that making hoax calls to 999 is a criminal offence.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Police said: “Earlier this week, it was exactly this time when we received a 999 call from an 11-year-old boy in Peterborough.

“The boy was asking to be transferred through to Microsoft as he had been banned from his X-Box account.

Police have issued a warning about hoax 999 calls

placeholder image — Police have issued a warning about hoax 999 calls

“The call handler assumed that this may have been a cover story, and the boy was trying to communicate that he was actually in danger.

“Using simple yes / no questions, and telling the boy to press 55 on the keypad if he was in danger but couldn't talk out loud, the call handler was quickly able to establish that the boy was safe, and was genuinely calling to try and get back into his X-Box account.

“The boy was given strong words of advice and told that misuse of the 999 line is a criminal offence. He was also told that he could face a maximum penalty of up to six months in prison or a fine of £5,000 for persistently misusing 999.

“These types of calls tie up our resources and divert crews away from real, potentially life-threatening incidents. Please help us keep our phone lines free for genuine emergencies by educating friends, family members, and children about the dangers and risks associated with hoax calling.”