Students fined over fake burglary

Two "idiotic" students from Leeds have been fined after kicking their own front door in and then telling police they had been victims of burglary.

The pair, aged 20 and 22, reported the alleged crime at their home in Langdale Gardens in Headingley on 1 November.

However, witnesses told West Yorkshire Police they had seen the students kicking the door themselves.

The pair were arrested for wasting police time and were each given £80 penalty notices, police said.

The students initially told officers that nothing had been stolen in the alleged break in because they had disturbed the offenders and they had run off.

But the pair later admitted they had made the story up to avoid paying for the damage they had caused.

Sgt Teresa Dmoch, of West Yorkshire Police, said: "I don't think it's too harsh to describe this pair as complete idiots for what they have done. They are, after all, supposed to be intelligent people engaged in academic study.

"Their stupid actions tied up officers whose time could have been better spent dealing with genuine incidents."