A 23-year-old man from Emersons Green has been fined for wasting police time after falsely claiming to have been robbed.
The student told police he was robbed of his wallet in Badminton Road, Downend early one August morning.
Detectives carried out their usual thorough investigation, including checking CCTV in the area, and found inconsistencies in what he had told them.
The man was then arrested and interviewed by police, who subsequently gave him an £80 on-the-spot fine for wasting police time.
South Gloucestershire DI Jill Kells said: “Making a false allegation to the police is a serious offence, which takes up officers’ time when they could be investigating genuine crimes and bringing offenders to justice.
“Robbery is a serious crime, distressing for victims and we are committed to a thorough investigation of every report. Any allegations of crime which are shown to be false will result in arrest and could lead to a fine or even a court appearance.”
Source: Avon and Somerset Police
