A 12-year-old boy was so determined to avoid going to the dentist that he faked his own kidnapping, leading to a month-long investigation by the police.
Few children will jump for joy when the time comes to visit the dentist, but not many will go to such great lengths to avoid their appointment as this petrified French boy - who was more afraid of the dentist than he was of the police.
The nervous lad's elaborate lie began when police found him hiding in the French Alpine village of St Gervais, on May 21.
According to Montpellier newspaper Midi Libre, when the officers stopped to ask the boy why he was alone, he told them he had been abducted from the nearby town of Bagnols and was running away from his captor.
He went on to describe the kidnapper as:
"European looking, aged in his thirties, of muscular build with a height of around 1.70 and a vertical scar on his right cheek."
A description that bears a striking resemblance to a cartoon villain, don't you think?
The boy added that the man was wearing a black shirt and tight jeans and gave a detailed description of his car.
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Blending the truth with his lie, the boy went on to say that he had been on his way to his dentist appointment when the kidnapper asked him for directions before bundling him into his car and speeding away.
Police drew up an e-fit image and examined CCTV footage, but they found no trace of the 'kidnapper'.
So last week, they called the boy back for further questioning and he admitted that he had invented the story as a means of escaping the dentist chair.
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