Boy arrested after air ambulances respond to hoax

Two air ambulances were mobilised after the hoax call

A 16-year-old boy has been arrested after a hoax call sparked two air ambulances and a doctor to be mobilised.

Wiltshire Police said they received a call on Monday evening reporting that someone had been stabbed in Station Road, Swindon.

A "significant" police and ambulance response, as well as a critical care team were deployed.

The South Western Ambulance Service (SWAS) was able to stand down the critical care team before they arrived, but two land ambulances and an operations officer still attended.

Police said further enquiries established the call may have been a hoax, and later arrested a boy at his home address on suspicion of improper use of an electronic communication system.

He has since been released under investigation.

Ch Supt Douglas Downing, head of local policing in Wiltshire, said: "A single hoax call can have an enormous impact on the emergency services.

"It prevents our officers and other emergency services from helping those that need it most."

'Extreme pressure'

Wayne Darch, deputy director of operations at SWAS, added that the ambulance service was "under extreme pressure" and that "responding to hoax calls takes valuable time and resources away from those most in need – where a life could be at risk".

His comments were echoed by Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance Charity's deputy director of communications Adam Baker, who said: "Every hoax call we attend takes resources away from genuine emergencies, can delay us in reaching patients with life-threatening injuries or illness, and also wastes valuable funds for the charity."