Man arrested after 'false report' of missing Brighton swimmer
Sussex Police have described the 18-year-old's actions as 'completely unacceptable'
An 18-year-old man from Luton has been arrested on suspicion of wasting police time, after a report of a missing swimmer off the coast of Brighton turned out to be fake.
Police, the RNLI and the coastguard responded to the report, with the latter sending a helicopter to help with efforts.
It later transpired the report was fake, and the teenager remains in custody pending further enquiries.
Detective Sergeant Toby Martin, of Brighton Investigations, said: “This call prompted a multi-agency response which lasted several hours and caused genuine concerns in a very busy part of the city centre.
“It took police and partners away from attending genuine emergencies, and this sort of behaviour is completely unacceptable.
“I’d like to remind the public that purposely making a false report of this nature is an extremely serious offence and we will take robust action against offenders.”