Taxi driver lied about knifepoint mugging

A TAXI driver sparked an armed police response and a massive manhunt after he invented a story that he had been robbed by passengers at knifepoint.

Douglas Leitch, 54, has admitted wasting police time after making up the tale.

The rookie taxi driver claimed he had picked up three male passengers in Dundee who took him hostage before robbing him of 70 by knifepoint.

Leitch reported his story and Tayside Police launched a widespread manhunt, dispatching armed police and dog units.

Officers cordoned off Camperdown Park on the outskirts of Dundee where the alleged robbery took place about midnight on 10 June.

Police issued a public appeal for witnesses to the "crime" to come forward, while Leitch's employer, 203020 Dundee Private Hire, offered a 5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the alleged attackers.

Officers later became suspicious of Leitch's claims but only after interrogating innocent members of the public who had fitted descriptions of the fictional muggers. The taxi driver admitted under questioning that he had made it up.

Leitch appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court yesterday and admitted wasting police time by making the false claim, leaving members of the public liable to be suspected and accused of robbery. Sheriff Alistair Duff deferred sentence until next month for reports.

He told Leitch, from Dundee: "This is an extremely serious crime. Not only have you wasted valuable police resources, but, as a result of your lies, you put at least three people - and anyone else who might have fit the bill and couldn't account for themselves - liable to suspicion and detention."

The court heard that a large number of police hours had been wasted by Leitch's lie and the financial bill - which does not include the police response on the night itself - amounted to 4199.50.