Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service Newsdesk

Pool, between Camborne and Redruth at 21/06/2008 22:04

Firefighters from Camborne and Redruth were mobilised following a 999 call from a male reporting that they could see flames from a flat. The crews could see no sign of fire on their arrival and spent time searching the area for the fire. They concluded that the call was made maliciously and the police are now dealing.

Whilst the firefighters were responding to this call they were not available to attend any genuine emergency in the area. This would have put the lives of members of the public at risk because fire appliances would have had to attend from further away.

Making hoax calls to the fire brigade is a crime and, in certain circumstances, those that have been prosecuted have received large fines or even a custodial sentence.