The 43-year-old contacted police on Friday, December 11, to report an attempted burglary at his home in Aston Street.

But subsequent enquiries by officers traced witnesses who had seen the man causing the damage himself.

He was arrested the next day for wasting police time and admitted in interview that he had caused the damage by banging and kicking the door after he found himself locked out.

He had contacted his landlord to get the damage repaired but was told he needed a crime reference number if he was not responsible.

Acting Inspector Nathan Franklin, of Neighbourhood Response Team 4, said: "We treat all reports of burglary very seriously and fully investigate the circumstances in an effort to catch those responsible. People need to realise that it is our job to get to the truth of any situation and our enquiries will generally show when the things people are telling us don't add up.

"False reports waste valuable police time that could be better spent dealing with real incidents and investigating genuine crimes. Not only has this man got an £80 penalty to pay, he still has to pay for the damage he caused in the first place.

"I hope this incident serves as a warning to people who think they can get away with making false reports. Although a penalty notice has been the appropriate punishment on this occasion, people can be charged with wasting police time and can receive a criminal conviction at court."