Police have warned cheats who waste police time by making false crime reports will be punished.

A 31-year-old man from Fairweather Green, Bradford, was given an £80 fixed penalty notice by police after making a false report of a burglary.

He claimed electrical equipment valued at £9,000 had been stolen from his home but police inquiries found the allegation to be false.

Acting Detective Inspector Stuart Lyons said that all burglaries were thoroughly investigated.

He said: “On this occasion we wasted our time on a report which was false. We always take such false claims to court or issue on- the-spot fines.”