YOUTHS deliberately setting off fire alarms at a Hyndburn social centre are putting the lives of thousands of residents at risk.

For two consecutive nights now firefighters from Hyndburn's station at Church have been called out to the New Era centre in Paradise Street, Accrington.

And on each occasion it has turned out to be a false alarm, according to firefighters.

Fire chiefs believe anti-social youths have been entering the building and smashing the glass-fronted alarms maliciously.

With only two fire engines now based at Hyndburn, such false alarms can potentially leave an area, covering Accrington, Great Harwood and Rishton, without adequate fire cover for periods of time, they say.

Watch manager Phil Jones said: "There are a group of youths who they appear to have been having trouble with there who are running inside and breaking the glass alarms.

"At the time we were out at a rubbish fire in Rishton as well so all we had left between Langho and Haslingden was a part-time fire engine and an engine at Great Harwood.

"This would have obviously caused us considerable delays in getting to any other fires in the Accrington area."

Firefighters are unsure of how serious a call is when they receive an automatic fire alarm and must treat each callout as a possible emergency.

Young offenders can risk possible prosecutions and fines if they are caught interfering with fire alarms maliciously.