HOAX CALL DIGGLE POND!

Dear Residents,

Earlier today, officers responded to a report of a male carrying a knife near Diggle Pond. Due to the nature of the call, officers attended immediately using emergency response vehicles to ensure public safety.

Upon arrival, it quickly became apparent that the report was false and there was no person with a knife in the area. Officers subsequently contacted and visited the caller's address to explain the serious consequences and potential dangers of making hoax calls to the emergency services.

We are aware that some members of the community may have seen the police response at Diggle Pond, so we would like to reassure everyone that there was no threat to public safety and there is no cause for concern.

We would also like to take this opportunity to highlight the impact that false 999 calls can have. In this instance, multiple police vehicles were deployed under emergency conditions, travelling through traffic at high speeds to reach what was believed to be a potentially life threatening incident. Driving using emergency equipment inevitably carries an increased risk to officers, road users and pedestrians putting everyone at an increase risk of danger.

We would like to ask parents and guardians to speak with their children about the importance of ringing 999 and when they should use it and what the impacts are if it is used incorrectly and the risks to the public/ officers when it is used incorrectly. What may seem like a harmless prank can have serious consequences.