A DUNFERMLINE man dialled 999 claiming he had been stabbed and planned to use tomato soup as fake blood.

Officers turned up twice to the home of Paul Reid after he had made the claims and on the second occasion, he had a carton of the soup which he planned to pretend was blood.

Appearing for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court on Wednesday, Reid, 41, had earlier admitted that on December 23, at 25 Skibo Court, he falsely represented to police officers that he had been stabbed and wasted police time.

Depute fiscal Jamie Roy said Reid, whose address on court papers was given as Skibo Court but was read out in court as New Row, had been consuming alcohol. The police control room received a call shortly after 1.30am from a man, believed to be Reid, who initially expressed concern for his ex-partner but then said he had been stabbed and was bleeding from the lung.

Officers attended at his home and, on arrival, they located Reid who, while appearing intoxicated, was safe and well and there was nothing to suggest he had been a victim of any stabbing.

When asked if he was injured, he was "evasive and unwilling to engage" and refused to show any injury, the court heard. He was given a formal warning for wasting police time and indicated he would not contact the police making false allegations again.

Just before 2.15am, police were then contacted by the Scottish Ambulance Service saying Reid had contacted them via 999 again saying he had been stabbed.

Mr Roy told the court: "Police officers attended the locus again and found the accused safe and well within the living room. He was found sitting next to a carton of tomato soup which he admitted he was intending to pour on himself in an effort to stage blood."

Solicitor Alexander Flett said his client was apologetic for what had taken place.

Sheriff Charles Macnair placed Reid on a restriction of liberty order for four months which requires him to stay in his home from 7pm until 7am.

He told him: "You made not just one call, you made two calls and that required officers to go to your house rather than carry out duties which were needed and necessary for the protection of members of the public who may have been real victims of crime.

"Wasting police time is not something which can be treated lightly in my view."