Four teenage boys are set to appear before a youth court following a major police deployment to a reported knifepoint robbery that is now believed to have been a hoax.
Armed Response to Early Morning Call
Nottinghamshire Police dispatched armed officers to Mansfield town centre shortly after 2am on Wednesday, September 3. The urgent response was triggered by a 999 call from a young man who claimed he had been robbed at knifepoint by a group of youths.
Officers rushed to the scene and, acting on the information provided, arrested four suspects a short time later. However, a search of the area and the individuals failed to recover any knives or corroborate the victim's account.
Investigation Reveals 'No Robbery' Took Place
Following a thorough investigation, police confirmed that the reported incident was false. It was established that no robbery had actually taken place, leading to the initial suspects becoming the accused.
The four boys, aged 14, 14, 15, and 16, have now been charged with causing wasteful employment of police, commonly known as wasting police time. Due to their ages, they cannot be named for legal reasons.
Court Date Set for Alleged Hoaxsters
The defendants are scheduled to appear at Nottingham Youth Court on January 21 to face the charges. The case highlights the serious consequences of making false reports to emergency services, which divert critical resources from genuine incidents.
A spokesperson for Nottinghamshire Police stated: "Four boys have been charged with wasting police time after armed officers deployed to a reported robbery in Mansfield. It was later confirmed that no robbery had taken place."
