A BOGUS 999 caller reported a fake assault at the home of a man he had been in a "relationship" with — prompting police to break down the door, a court heard.

David Owen returned from a holiday to find the front door of his house in Connaught Square smashed in, Bolton Magistrates Court was told.

After making enquiries with police, he discovered he had not been burgled but had fallen victim to a hoax from serial nuisance caller Neil Byron.

The court heard Byron, aged 33, had called police claiming a man had been assaulted at Mr Owen's home. Officers forced their way into the house but found no sign of an assault.

Later the same day, Byron made a second 999 call — this time to the fire service — requesting them to go to Mr Owen's home.

The calls were traced to Byron, who was almost three miles away in Woodfield Street, Great Lever, when police arrested him.

Despite an extensive criminal record, amounting to 30 offences across 16 convictions, many of which related to nuisance calls, Bryon was spared jail.

He was given an eight-week sentence, suspended for a year, and was ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.

The court heard that Mr Owen and Byron had been in a "short relationship". But there have been issues between the parties and Byron has previously been convicted of harassment towards Mr Owen.

The court heard that Byron initially denied making the calls, and changed his plea to guilty on August 7, after first denying the charge in court on July 28.

Peter Leather, defending, said Byron understood the seriousness of his actions, and said there was no need for a restraining order to be imposed, barring him dialling 999 other than in an emergency, as this is already a criminal offence.

The bench agreed and ordered Byron, of Blackshaw House, Thornbank North, Deane, to pay £500 in compensation.

Speaking after the case, Mr Owen said: "I was in a non-sexual relationship with him after meeting him years ago in a gay bar.

"He seems to be infatuated with me as he has harassed me before. This time I was on holiday and when I got back I saw the door had been smashed and the police had secured it."

Byron was jailed in November 2006 after breaching a suspended sentence by being close to the scene of a hoax 999 call.

In September of the following year, he returned to prison for four months after making more calls to the fire service.

Previous court hearings have heard how a fascination with dialling 999 began in 2005 and in the space of 18 months he made more than 40 bogus calls to the fire service.