On 13th August 2009 three search & rescue dogs, Derby Mountain Rescue Team and Buxton Mountain Rescue Team were all called to woodland on the outskirts of Leek in Staffordshire.  The police had received a 999 call stating that two boys had fallen into a large hole and could not escape. 

The police started searching but were unable to locate the boys or the hole and so mountain rescue was called in to widen the search.   The call was being taken as a serious incident and a large area of land and woodland painstakingly searched.

However as the incident was progressing further police enquiries proved the call to have been a hoax and two boys were apprehended.

Both boys have recently been conditionally reprimanded by Staffordshire police.  Each youth has written a letter of apology to the rescue teams involved and donated £25 to each charity.   In the letters the youths state their sincere regret for their actions and now understand the drain it put on resources that may have been genuinely needed elsewhere.  The police believe the apologies to be genuine and their past actions to be out of character.  They are not expected to come to the attention of the police again.