A MAN described in court as a "lonely individual" repeated called police to make false reports of crimes.

Blackburn magistrates heard Boota Singh made 14 false reports to police.

He was arrested for being drunk and disorderly after police received a genuine report from his neighbours.#

Singh, 38, of Cog Lane, Burnley, pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly and wasteful employment of police resources by making a false report of an offence. He was made subject to a curfew for four weeks between 9 pm and 7 am and ordered to pay £85 costs and £85 victim surcharge.

Parveen Akhtar, prosecuting, said at 4.15 pm police received reports of a drunken male shouting and swearing in Cog Lane, upsetting neighbours.

"He had already made a call to police reporting a bogus incident," said Miss Akhtar. "Between June 10 and July 21 he reported 14 incidents to the police."

Nick Dearing, defending, said not all of the calls had been entirely spurious.

"He lives in an area where there is a lot of anti-social behaviour and he has had run ins with the young men responsible," said Mr Dearing. "Some of the calls may have been genuine but he accepts others were not."

He said the bogus calls were made when his client had been drinking.

"He acknowledges that he suffers from depression which he makes worse by drinking," said Mr Dearing. "He presents as a lonely individual with no friends and drinking is a problem."