A NELSON man who made malicious calls to the fire brigade has become only the second hoaxer in Lancashire to be given a penalty notice by police.

The first Penalty Notices for Disorder were introduced in Pennine Division in January this year and more than 100 have been issued so far for public disorder and minor nuisance offences.

However, this is the first time that a penalty notice has been issued for making a hoax call in Pennine Division, and only the second time in the county.

Nick Isherwood, Commander at Nelson Fire Station welcomed the action.

He said: "Personally I'm quite impressed with this administration of swift justice. It sends out a very clear message to offenders that hoax callers will be traced and dealt with appropriately.

"We respond to every 999 call and while attending a hoax call, we could miss a real emergency so this type of activity can cost lives.

"The fact that we can now deal with this issue by way of a fixed penalty notice is good news for both ourselves and local police."

Fixed Penalty Notices are issued by police officers, at their discretion, for a range of offences from £40 to £80.

They will have to be paid in full within 21 days, with the fine rising by 50 per cent after that deadline. Any money that remains unpaid after 28 days will be pursued through the courts as an unpaid fine.

Inspector Dave Croll from Pennine police said: "From our point of view, they have many benefits. Not only are they a quick way to deal with anti-social behaviour and other offences, but they also allow our officers to spend more time out on the streets which is good news for all our communities."

Offences included in the scheme for a Penalty Notice include wasting police time, giving a false alarm to the fire brigade, being drunk and disorderly and drinking in a designated public area.