Police have confirmed that a call which caused every refuse bin in a Basildon retail park to be cordoned off was a hoax.

On Sunday September 2, cordons were put in place around every bin behind stores in the Pipps Hill Retail Park in Miles Gray Road.

The police have since confirmed that they received false information.

A spokesman for Essex Police, said: "We carried out enquiries in Miles Gray Road, Basildon, after receiving concerns for a person’s welfare shortly after 7.25am on Sunday September 2.

"This incident is now being as incident as a hoax call. Enquires are ongoing."

The cordon was in place at the site for most of the day with officers on site.

Police refused to disclose the reason why such a large cordon was put in place, or any other details about the nature of the hoax call officers received.

In July, Essex Police launched their "More Time to Fight Crime" campaign in a bid to educate people on when it is and is not appropriate to call 999.

From noise nuisance to potholes and dog fouling to abandoned vehicles, the More Time to Fight Crime campaign aims to increase awareness about what is and isn’t a policing matter in a bid to reduce demand on the force for non-police matters and those that should be dealt with by other organisations.

The campaign is directed at people who call 999 for non-emergency issues but is also an important message to hoax callers who take up officers' valuable time with malicious reports.