A MOTORIST tried to get out of a parking ticket by reporting to police that her car number plates had been stolen.

Officers today warned people not to falsely report crime after the woman, 37, of Brierfield, was arrested and received a caution for the attempted con.

She told police another car bearing her stolen number plates must have been given the ticket.

But photographs of her car and its tax disc, taken by Parkwise traffic wardens, proved she was responsible for the fine.

Officers said the price of trying to con the police could be high after a recent spate of cases.

Melanie Pearson, 30, of Brunshaw Avenue, was jailed for eight months after staging a burglary at her home.

Police said she hired two people to break into her home and steal hire-purchase equipment.

In April this year a man claimed his driving licence, birth and marriage certificate had been stolen in a burglary at his home.

Police discovered he had trying to obtain an illegitimate driving licence after being disqualified. He was fined.

And in March last year a woman claimed she was being forced to withdraw cash from a bank machine.

The allegations were alse and she was given an £80 fixed penalty fine for wasting police time.

Later the same year a 19-year-old girl claimed she had had her mobile phone stolen.

However CCTV footage proved the drunk teenager lost her phone in Burnley town centre. She was also fined.

Insp Damian Darcy, of Burnley police, said: "Any anomalies will be uncovered during the course of the inquiry.

"Anyone who is tempted to falsely report a crime should be aware they will almost certainly fall foul of the law."