A COUPLE made up a burglary to avoid paying £60 for damage to a door after they locked themselves out.

But their false story left them even more out of pocket.

They were given an on-the-spot fine of £80 each by police.

The couple were arrested last Thursday after police became suspicious over their report of damage to the front door of their council house in Breightmet.

The 44-year-old woman later admitted to officers that she and a male friend, aged 31, had concocted the story.

They were fined for wasting police time.

Police were given the power to serve fixed penalty notices under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 which came into force in January last year.

Anyone caught falsely reporting crimes could also face being prosecuted and jailed for up to 12 months.

Police in Bolton estimate one third of all burglary and robbery reports are false and cost taxpayers millions of pounds in wasted police time every year.

Anyone making an insurance claim have to report the "crimes to police to obtain a reference number.

Insp Tony Kenyon said: "What people have to realise now is that the standard of investigation into burglaries is quite high and we will uncover false reports.

"People making false reports of crime could find themselves being arrested and charged with other more serious offences."