A MAN has been fined by Huddersfield police for falsely claiming he was robbed.
Police say anyone else who makes up such a story also faces being fined by them or hauled before the courts.
The 19-year-old man claimed he had been robbed in the street by several people - and even named one of them.
He said they had stolen cash and a cheque from him.
But officers who investigated the allegation found inconsistencies in the supposed victim's story. He eventually admitted making it up.
Huddersfield's crime manager, Det Chief Insp Tony Craven, said: "Officers spent time investigating this offence, only to discover it was made up.
"We take all reports of robbery extremely seriously and will soon discover if someone is telling the truth or not.
"False reports not only tie up valuable police resources in investigating lies, but also result in higher insurance premiums for everyone else, to compensate for those who make up claims."
Det Chief Insp Craven added: "While I would always encourage people to report genuine incidents, where we prove an allegation to be false we will prosecute those responsible.
"Wasting police time will attract at least a fixed-penalty ticket. But offenders may end up before the courts - where more serious consequences could follow."
The £80 fixed-penalty ticket was given to the man as part of the penalty notice for disorder scheme, which was introduced in West Yorkshire on April 1.
It means police and special constables can deal with several offences with penalty notices.
