A PRESTWICH man has paid the price after falsely claiming to have been burgled.

The man reported a burglary at his home and told police the burglar had gained entry by forcing open his front door.

However, officers became increasingly suspicious of the man's account when an investigation revealed that his door had been damaged long before the alleged incident.

The 31-year-old was subsequently arrested and later admitted making a false burglary report, hoping the council would give him a new front door. Instead of getting a free door the man was issued with an £80 penalty notice for wasting police time.

Superintendent Peter Scofield, of Bury Police, said: "This is not the first time that we have tracked down and punished crime cheats.

"It is an offence to make false reports, and we will not hesitate to issue fixed-penalty notices, or prosecute those responsible.

"We are here to help genuine victims of crime and we encourage them to come forward and report incidents so they can be investigated but we will not tolerate the deliberate wasting of police time."