A report of a woman being kidnapped sparked a full-scale manhunt in Swindon.
Approximately a dozen officers swarmed the new housing estate Badbury Park, off Marlborough Road, at around 9.30pm yesterday evening (Tuesday 7 February).
Firearms officers and a dog unit were called in to assist in finding the woman, who was allegedly kidnapped.
With a life at risk, Wiltshire Police launched a full-scale search – which included using a drone to scour the area.
At 11pm, officers were still on the estate, knocking on the doors of residents in a bid to gather vital information for their time-sensitive manhunt.
Some locals report being kept awake by the significant police presence until the early hours of the morning.
It was later discovered that the call was false and numerous other police forces across the country had received similar hoax calls.