Peterborough Police issue hoax warning after woman 'claimed to have killed partner and children'

Thankfully, no such incident had occurred, but after officers and paramedics were called to the scene – meaning they could not be attending other incidents – Cambridgeshire Police have given a warning about hoax calls.

The latest hoax was communicated to police via their web chat service.

A Police spokesperson said: “Last week, it was 8.21am when we we received a live chat message from a woman who claimed to have killed her partner and children.

“The web chat was traced to a property in Peterborough, so police officers were dispatched to the scene immediately, along with the ambulance service.

“The operator checked our system to see if the woman had any previous history of calls, but there was nothing.

“The woman was still calmly messaging the operator, explaining that there were seven people at the address. She told the operator to "hurry up" because she still had a weapon.

“At around the same time officers and paramedics arrived at the property, the user disconnected from live chat, and all call-backs to the number she had provided went unanswered.

“Officers expected to arrive to a chaotic scene but they were met with a seemingly empty house in a quiet neighbourhood, and no-one was answering the door.

“Neighbours confirmed that they hadn't seen or heard anything that morning, and explained that the property in question had been empty for some time.

“Officers and paramedics were eventually stood down when the property was searched and confirmed to be empty, as further checks confirmed that the web chat had been a hoax.

“The woman had used a false name, email address, and fabricated a story that she knew would provoke a significant response from the police.

“The emergency services constantly operate under extreme pressure. Responding to hoax calls and messages like this take valuable time and resources away from those most in need – where a life could be at risk.

“In this instance, one person's actions resulted in a large emergency response, which diverted a call handler, police officers and paramedics away from people who could have been in serious, life-threatening situations.

“A hoax via live web chat is still a hoax. Misusing the emergency services is a criminal offence as it can cost lives.”