HOAXERS who sparked an alert claiming there was a fire at Burnley General Hospital have been slammed for putting lives at risk.

Fire crews rushed to the hospital in Casterton Avenue after an anonymous caller reported a blaze.

But when firefighters arrived there was no sign of a fire and crews realised it had been a malicious call.

It was the 43rd prank call to be made in East Lancashire in the past five months.

Fire chiefs said it was ‘beyond belief’ that malicious calls were still being made, while hospital bosses said the time wasted ‘can mean the difference between life and death’.

Richard Edney, communications officer at Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Fire engines and crews cannot be in two places at one time and hoax calls can, and do, cost lives.

“In Lancashire, Jason Walsh died in his home in Blackpool in 1996 when fire engines were sent on a hoax call to Blackpool Victoria Hospital just when he needed them, so it’s beyond belief that even with such tragic evidence there are still people who are prepared to put someone else’s life on the line.

“A person making a hoax call to emergency services can be taken to court and may face a fine of up to £5,000 and/or be sent to prison for six months.”

In the five months between April and August this year there were 43 hoax calls made to the fire service in East Lancashire, with 11 of those in Burnley.

Bob Donovan, fire safety adviser for East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Hoax and malicious calls can mean the difference between life and death.

“They tie up hospital staff so they are not available to help our patients or perform their important duties including real, potentially life threatening emergencies.

“We would encourage anyone with information about individuals who make hoax, nuisance and malicious phone calls to the emergency services to contact the police.”

Rick Courtney, crew manager at Burnley Fire Station, said: “A fire appliance was mobilised to Burnley General Hospital due to reports of a fire in the open. On arrival, despite investigation, there was no fire.

“Malicious calls cost lives, fire engines may be required elsewhere in the district for critical incidents.”

Burnley MP Gordon Birtwistle slammed the pranksters who made the call at 10.15pm on Sunday as ‘stupid’ and said they should be hauled before the courts.

He said: “It’s absolutely outrageous, I can’t believe that people can be so daft and stupid.

“The fire service have to attend that hoax call yet somewhere else someone could be burning to death.

“People that do this need to caught and put before the courts so they can be punished.”