A RADIO station has apologised after a practical joke backfired and put police forces on alert throughout the North.

The wind-up on Red Rose FM yesterday resulted in Bolton police, and other forces searching for a woman of 94 called Peggy who was feared to have been catapulted through a window when a stairlift developed a fault.

But it was all a wind-up by Red Rose Rock FM presenter Kev Seed. Only a street number and name were given on air and police from all over the region were called in to track Peggy down. Paul Jordan, programme director said: "Peggy has been involved on the Kev Seed show for about 18 months and all our regular listeners will have known it was a wind-up. We warn people in advance to be ready for these things."

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