Teen stole boat and made fire hoax

A teenage boy has admitted stealing a boat and making a hoax call about a fire in March.

The 14-year-old, who cannot be named by law, stole a rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) from the jetty of Wherry Close, March, on the evening of 24 July.

The following day, he approached the owner at the jetty and told him he would tell him where the boat was if he paid him £20 and claimed it was two boys who were responsible for the theft.

A few days later, the boy returned to the jetty and admitted stealing the boat but told the man he would never find it, before cycling off.

On 4 August, police were called by the fire service at about 10.30pm who said they had been called out to reports of a deliberate house fire in Russell Avenue, March, however when they arrived they realised it was a hoax.

The report claimed someone had thrown a glass object through the window of a house which had then “blown up” and caused a blaze.

Enquires led to a mobile number linked to the teenage boy who was arrested on 6 August.

He appeared at Huntingdon Youth Court on Wednesday (21 August) where he admitted causing a false alarm of fire and theft of a boat.

He was sentenced to a 12-month Youth Referral Order – the first community sentence given to most first-time young offenders, requiring them to attend a youth offender panel made up of two members of the local community and an advisor from a youth offending team, where they will agree a contract of certain commitments.

Detective Constable George Corney, who investigated, said: “I hope this action serves as a warning to others that hoax calls to emergency services is a criminal offence and action will be taken. We are there to help those in danger and wasting time dealing with hoax calls for service could cost lives.”

A Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service spokesperson said: “It is important to highlight that when dealing with hoax calls, we are committed with that job until it can be determined otherwise, meaning those resources are unable to help people in a genuine emergency situation which could potentially be a case of life or death.

“The cost to the fire service of this type of incident where three crews have been deployed would be thousands of pounds. This was a complete waste of emergency services’ time and public money.”