The good news is that in future, perpetrators face not only criminal charges, but also damages claims from the police for any monetary loss that they suffer as a result. 

That is the upshot of a new High Court declaration relating to an incident way back in 2001 when a woman, with the intention of causing panic amongst her colleagues at work, placed an envelope containing white powder in a toilet.  A colleague who discovered the envelope suffered “severe nervous shock” believing that she had been a victim of anthrax poisoning, and the police wasted considerable time and resources on a futile investigation.

Any victims of such a hoax should also take advice on claiming their own damages from the perpetrator.