A leading Bradford detective today warned that people who 'cry wolf' over street robbery will be caught and punished.

A number of false reports of robbery have been received by Bradford police in the last few months, mainly from people claiming against insurance for alleged losses.

Detective Inspector John Armitage, of Bradford South Police, said all reports were thoroughly investigated and the police would soon realise if they were made up.

He added: "People saying they have been robbed when they haven't, be it to make an insurance claim or for any other reason, should take note: we will soon discover if they are telling the truth.

"Tackling robbery is a high priority for us and false reports only keep us away from dealing with real incidents.

"Genuine victims should in no way be discouraged from coming forward but those who make false reports are committing an offence and could easily find themselves in court."

A Bradford police spokesman said an estimated ten per cent of all robberies reported to the police in West Yorkshire were false.

Det Insp Armitage said the purge was being made as part of Bradford's Ring Of Steel campaign to combat street crime in the district.

Operations have been held in recent weeks to support the ongoing work of robbery teams throughout the district.

In an operation in August Bradford police officers made a total of 106 arrests in just seven days.

A total of 906 people were also stopped and searched in some of the city's robbery hot spots. Arrests were made for a variety of offences including robbery, theft and possession of Drugs.

The high profile campaign is supported by the Target initiative, West Yorkshire Police's biggest crackdown on crime and the fear of crime, and is also being backed by the Crackdown in Bradford - A Community Against Drugs campaign.

Police are appealing to the public to help combat street crime by coming forward and passing on information.

Anyone who suspects someone of committing offences is urged to contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.