Northern Ireland

PSNI officers urge Pokemon Go fans to keep safe when roaming and hunting

Wanted: Thieving Pidgeotto on the loose in Lisburn
Wanted: Thieving Pidgeotto on the loose in Lisburn Wanted: Thieving Pidgeotto on the loose in Lisburn

The PSNI is warning of the dangers of Pokemon Go after Pidgeotto was allegedly caught trying to steal police equipment in Lisburn.

Pokemon are appearing all over the North as players walk around cities, towns and villages.

A post on the PSNI Lisburn Facebook page said: "Wild Bird On The Loose. It appears we don't just catch criminals as we discovered Pidgeotto trying to lift kit out of the back of our car this afternoon.

"I know this trend is taking the world by storm at the minute but please be careful when trying to catch the wee critters as they are appearing on sides of roads and in busy built up areas."

It seems Pokemon hunters are working around the clock as they cannot get enough of augmented reality, prompting another PSNI officer in Bangor to urge motorists to drive safely.

"It’s 0515 red eye time but still the Pokemon hunters are on the go," he wrote online.

"Some level 10 collectors on patrol in Bangor stopped here.

"Again glad to see the driver isn’t the one using the phone and we shall leave the monsters to them and carry on our search for the real baddies.

"Drive safely Pokemon hunters."

The message from police is 'don't Poke and drive' and that pedestrians should always look both ways before crossing at Pokestops.

It is thought Pokemon Go has been downloaded around 7.5 million times.

The mobile app is a global phenomenon, letting players roam a map using their phone's GPS location data and catch Pokemon to train and battle.

The addictive game has added millions to the value of Nintendo, which part-owns the franchise.