Police today warned of the consequences of making false allegations over crimes, after two people were prosecuted.

Melanie Tritz, 26, of Headley Way, in Headington, Oxford, pleaded guilty at Oxford Crown Court to wasting police time after claiming that a man and two women had robbed her, taking a mobile phone and £100 in cash, in Cowley Road, Oxford, in the early hours of September 4.

Three people were arrested and spent more than 17 hours in custody.

Tritz was fined £500 and ordered to pay £500 compensation by the court on Friday.

As previously reported, on the same day, Andrew Stennings, 28, also appeared in court and pleaded guilty to attempting to pervert the course of justice.

He had claimed two people entered the Gourmet Burger Kitchen restaurant, in George Street, Oxford, where he worked and attempted to steal money from the till while threatening him with a knife.

Stennings, formerly of Sherwood Place, Barton, but now of West Sussex, was given a six-week jail sentence, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to do 100 hours unpaid community work, pay £200 costs and £300 compensation to a man wrongly arrested.

Det Insp Kev Elkins, from Oxford CID, said: "We will find out if an allegation isn’t genuine and the person who makes the report will face the consequences."

Thames Valley Police had put out a press release inaccurately claiming Tritz was convicted of attempting to pervert the course of justice. She in fact admitted wasting police time and this story has been amended to correct that.