A HOAX caller has been arrested after calling 999 and claiming that there was a house fire.

The youth told emergency operators that there was a blaze at a home in Waddington Avenue in Burnley at 6pm last night.

But when challenged by the specially trained call worker the youngster hung up.

A crew from Burnley fire station was sent to the street as a precautionary measure along with police and a youth was arrested at the scene.

Crew manager Rick Courtney said: “Hoax calls put lives in danger. We have to attend these incidents but it meant that the whole of Burnley was only at half cover while we checked it out.”