MORE than 50 hoax calls were made to Oxfordshire police every week this year, putting genuine callers’ lives at risk.

Thames Valley Police said it received 2,688 prank calls in Oxfordshire from January 1 to the end of November.

The force said it often had to deploy officers on false calls, wasting time, and said the callers were “extremely foolish”.

Banbury farmer Brian Cannon had to phone police when his brand new quad bike was stolen in November. It has not been recovered.

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The 70-year-old said: “I think hoax calling is an absolutely dreadful waste of police time.

“I don’t know why anyone would do such a thing.”

Most hoax calls were made in Oxford – 920 this year, followed by 891 in South and Vale and 656 in Cherwell.

West Oxfordshire was the most law-abiding district, with only 221 prank calls recorded this year.

Cowley resident Kim Trinder was commended by police for foiling a robbery at her neighbour’s house on Monday, December 15.

The mother-of-five of Lockheart Crescent, chased the suspected burglar down the street before calling the police, who she said arrived within minutes.

Ms Trinder, 50, said: “I think anyone who makes a prank call needs to grow up.

“At the end of the day, if you need to phone police or an ambulance and could save a life, it is a waste of time.

“I am surprised there have been so many.”

People can be sentenced to up to six months in prison and a fine of up to £5,000, according to the Metropolitan Police.

Michael Bourke of Woodcote was given a two-year Antisocial Behaviour Order on December 18 for making 18 nuisance calls to emergency services.

The definition of hoax calls covers all calls conveying information that is known to be false for the purpose of causing distress, anxiety or the wasteful misdirection of emergency services.

It does not include calls made with good intent, where the information given turns out to be incorrect, but it does include calls made by people with mental health problems or delusional disorders who report incidents that have not occurred.

Head of control room and inquiries department superintendent Jim Templer said: “Making hoax calls to the emergency services is an extremely foolish thing to do. Resources are often deployed to respond to false calls, putting genuine callers’ lives at risk.

“The emergency services and courts take a very dim view of such irresponsible behaviour. Anyone thinking about making hoax calls should be warned that the force will charge people who abuse the system.

“Having said that, it is important to remember that the number of hoax calls received in Oxfordshire is relatively low when compared to the 4,000 calls received across the force each day.”

South Central Ambulance Service said it also suffered from a number of people “abusing” the call system, but did not reveal the figure when approached by the Oxford Mail.

Oxfordshire County Council said its Fire and Rescue Service “does not receive many hoax calls”.

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