to think someone must know *STACEY HALL* or *ELLIE* in Leeds area

[Unacceptable]

that's it really, someone must know her, sounds like daughter is possibly nursery age. Stacey maybe has medical condition as young girl knew to ring 999

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-19062560

I thought they were nearly four. I wonder what will happen to them.

I thought the child sounded older but though hey ho she's obviously very grown up.

Hope those kids that did it get into big trouble.

Infuriating that it's a bloody hoax by 10 year olds. Is there nothing else to do during summer holidays?? I'm not usually a supporter, but it's no wonder people are crying for year-round schooling.

Whaaaaaat? That's quite a leap. I am paid to teach, not babysit to prevent hoax calls.

well, better a hoax than a child alone with a dead or dying mother.

I suspected it might be a hoax. And then felt bad for being too suspicious.

God, I hope its no-one from the school I work at!

Phew! Am so relieved it's a hoax - was following it on sky at lunchtime and getting royally worked up.

That is awful, but Lovebunny is right, its better than what could have happened to them both if it was real.

The thing that makes me wonder though, the police must have known very quickly that the call was coming from the east coast and not leeds, surely that would have been enough to call off the media hunt.

taken from the independant

"A number of people called Stacey Hall were traced and eliminated from the inquiry before the search was called off when police confirmed the call was a hoax yesterday afternoon."

"Unusually the number that made the call was not identifiable and could not initially be traced. Eventually the mobile call was traced to Bridlington, East Yorkshire, where the two girls were identified."

so they knew yesterday that is was a hoax.

Who the hell said the Wirral was near Leeds? Go back to school and learn some geography!

That'll be the version of the article to be published tomorrow, which is why it says "yesterday".

raising awareness. there have been a few cases recently where the emergency services have tried to highlight the folly of hoax calls.

I too thought that the child sounded older than a 3 year old but dismissed it as i thought that a call like this must be genuine....how wrong i was.

Glad that nobody is hurt but hope those responsible get a serious telling off!!!!

They're at the age of criminal responsibility, throw the book at the wee shits.

I think they should at the very least get a caution for wasting police time.

If they were charged and convicted it would make an example of them.

Silly silly girls

Shame it was all someone playing a 'prank' www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-19067822

Good Lord, I failed to refresh before posting... apologies

"They're at the age of criminal responsibility, throw the book at the wee shits."

We have a much younger age of criminal responsibility than in many other countries. Too young IMO.

Of course they should be in deep trouble, but criminalised? No way.

They're children FFS.

"They're children FFS."

Unfortunately thats the attitude of Social Services to my 10 year old neighbour who has made our lives a misery for months with name calling, vandalism and assaults on our son. Now hes verbally abused my DHs childminding mindees we have no option but to move or my DH will have his registration suspended. All the while this boy gets taken on days out and given treats because hes got "anger problems".

Well, I expect in September all the primary schools in our area will now get a visit from the Police/PCSO's to put the fear of God into them about making such calls.

A ten year old is more than capable of knowing that it was very wrong to do this. They may not have anticipated the media interest, but at the very least they will have known they were wasting police time.

I have a nearly ten year old, and if he did this I'd be happy for him to recieve a caution.

We have that talk in Y5, jamdonut - the firemen come and show them a true video about a poor child that died in Blackpool because a fire engine was out on a hoax call. They are always stunned into silence (while I sob in a corner )

I'm so glad it was a hoax, but my god what kind of vile children would do something like this?!