WEST Yorkshire Police have confirmed that the phone call which purported to be a three-year-old girl whose mum had collapsed and couldn't be roused is a hoax.
The 33-minute call, which was made on Monday evening, triggered a huge police operation to swing into action.
However, it has now been revealed that the call, which was supposedly the work of a three-year-old in Leeds, was the work of two ten-year-olds in Bridlington.
A police spokesman said: "Unusually the number that made the call was not identifiable and could not initially be traced. Investigations subsequently identified a mobile phone number and traced it to Bridlington.
"Two ten-year-old girls living there were identified and have been spoken to by officers this afternoon.
"Officers are now liaising with the girls’ parents and partner agencies to take appropriate action."
Detective Chief Inspector Lisa Griffin, of the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, said: “We are pleased that our investigation has shown that we don’t have a vulnerable little girl out there with her mum collapsed beside her, although it is obviously incredibly frustrating that this has turned out to be a hoax.
Listen to the call on Page Two
“We are very grateful to the public and the media for all the support they have given us in appealing for information over this incident.
Click on the link below to listen to the phone call
"We treated the call as genuine on the basis of what was said what could be established in the initial stages of the investigation. Our priority is always to help the public and protect life as was our overriding focus in this investigation.
“This incident again highlights how misuse of the 999 system can cause significant unnecessary work for the emergency services who have limited resources to deal with genuine calls for help from members of the public. We hope it will help to remind people of the serious consequences of misusing the 999 system.”
