Blackburn 999 hoaxer hunted

6:30pm Tuesday 6th May 2008

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A HOAXER is being hunted by police following a string of malicious calls to the emergency services.

Blackburn firefighters have received 10 malicious calls over the last two months, including two on Monday night.

But on Monday, the male caller who firefighters believe is responsible for at least four of the calls, not only rang the fire service but also called for an ambulance.

As a precaution the police were contacted, and sent an emergency response car to an address in Delph Approach, Blackburn.

Firefighters said the caller, who sounded drunk, said he could smell smoke from his neighbour's house and gave names, thought to be fictitious, of the people inside.

Police are trying to retrieve the recorded call footage from the fire service in order to track down the person responsible.

The calls, to the Shadsworth area of Blackburn, started on April 25 when the man rang at 7.41pm and said a house in Delph Approach was on fire.

On Saturday, May 3, a call was made from the same phone at 3.02pm saying a house in Hillside Avenue was on fire.

The latest malicious calls were made using two mobile phones. The first reported a fire in Delph Approach around 7pm, then nearly two hours later another said there was a fire in Dunoon Drive.

Watch Manager Peter Frazer said: "We had 10 malicious calls in the last couple of months and we believe the last four calls have been made by the same person. Hoax calls stretch resources and put people's lives at risk. Two fire appliances have been sent out to these calls.

"When we attended Dunoon Drive we received another call out and only one fire engine could be sent to that genuine call where people's lives were at risk.

"We are looking to have the phone blocked and police are investigating the calls.

"A hoax caller can be fined up to £5,000 and face six months in prison."

A police spokesperson said: "The calls are under investigation and we are making inquiries to identify who is responsible."

A spokesperson for the ambulance service said: "The trust will give its full support to other emergency services to help with the identi-fication and prosecution of all hoax calls be they malicious or misguided pranks."