Brighton man fined for wasting police time

A 50-year-old Brighton man has been fined £80 for wasting police time after claiming to have been hit by a taxi.

Sussex Police said that the man was seen damaging a tree before lying down in front of a cab in New Road, Brighton.

The force said that he was verbally abusive to the taxi driver and members of the public who were looking on during both incidents.

The man made two 999 calls and two police officers and three ambulance crew spent 45 minutes dealing with him at about 11pm on Sunday 15 July.

The ambulance crew took him to hospital after he became unresponsive but he was discharged a short time later after medical examinations.

PC Jimmy Conway, from the Brighton and Hove Neighbourhood Police Team, said: “This was an appalling waste of two emergency service’s time.

“This individual took up valuable police and ambulance time at a particularly busy part of the evening, potentially putting Brighton and Hove residents in danger due to his thoughtless acts.”

Sussex Police said that when he was issued with the fine at his home address the man claimed that he was drunk at the time of the incidents.