Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service Newsdesk

Meadow Rise, St Columb at 04/08/2012 22:59

One fire appiance from St Columb Community Fire Station and one fire appliance from Newquay Community Fire Station were mobilised following a 999 call from a young male, reporting a kitchen fire in a house.

On arrival at the address stated, firefighters found that there was nothing wrong and that their time had been wasted by a malicious caller.

Making hoax calls to the emergency services is a criminal offence and those convicted have received fines of hundreds of pounds and, in some circumstances, custodial sentences. More importantly, whilst the fire appliances and highly trained crews were responding to this call, they were not available to go to the assistance of someone who may have really been in distress. This, quite literally, puts peoples lives at risk because if there had been a genuine emergency in the area at the same time, then there would have been a delay in fire crews attending from further away.

Emergency 999 calls are all recorded and are available to be used as evidence in a court of law. Devon & Cornwall Police have been informed and are now investigating this hoax call.