TWO fire engines were sent to an address in Clitheroe after a drunken man made a hoax call to try and get his girlfriend's attention, a court was told.

Blackburn magistrates heard that the caller, Steven Adamson McAleese, phoned his girlfriend while the fire brigade were at her house in Eastmoor Drive and when the station officer went on the phone he verbally abused him.

McAleese, 26, of Glenluce Crescent, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to giving a false alarm of fire. He was ordered to pay £865 compensation to the fire service for the cost of the call out and £75 costs.

David Macro, prosecuting, said the call had been made at 12.15am and a police officer had also attended at the address of Rachael Holden, who was the defendant's girlfriend.

Roger Pickles, defending, said McAleese had been extremely drunk at the time of the incident. He had phoned his girlfriend but she had hung up because of his condition.

"This was his way of getting her attention," said Mr Pickles.

"It was clearly a hoax call. He told the operator he was calling from Glasgow and she asked how he could know there was a fire in Clitheroe.

"If you listen to the tape it is quite apparent the operator knows it is a hoax call but for some reason they sent two appliances, 12 fire-fighters and a police officer to the scene," added Mr Pickles.