A WOMAN has been fined £90 for wasting police time after lying to officers that she had been robbed in Bradford.

The 29-year-old claimed a man had stolen her bag as she walked in Morley Street at about 8.30am on August 18.

She said she had asked the man for directions before he led her down an alleyway and stole her bag, which she claimed contained cash and her passport.

But as police investigated, the woman then changed her story and said she had found the cash and passport at home.

Further inquiries failed to reveal any information and, after being challenged by officers, she admitted to making a false report of robbery and was fined.

Detective Inspector Richard Partis, of Bradford District CID, said: "We need to stress to people that they simply will not get away with making up crimes as serious as robbery.

"We investigate these reports extremely thoroughly because, just as this helps us to identify real offenders, it also helps us identify false reports.

"People who make up crimes waste valuable police resources and detract officers from genuine crimes. They could even delay our response to a real emergency and put people's lives at risk."