Hoax calls warning from firefighters in Cheshire

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service slams the actions of a hoax caller for putting the community and firefighters at risk.

Two hoax calls were made from a payphone in the Runcorn area last week.

In both cases the caller, which it turned out was a 13-year-old boy, stated that a serious fire was in progress. This resulted in firefighters responding to incidents that in the end never existed. 

Hear the hoax call here:

Sean Henshaw, Runcorn Fire Station Manager said:

"The person who made these calls was persistent, insisting that there was a fire and that there could be people in danger. What they did was incredibly dangerous and also illegal. They were willing to put the community and firefighters at risk by asking them to respond to emergencies that did not exist. They now understand that what they did was wrong and that we will not tolerate this sort of crime and will always pursue incidents like this alongside our colleagues in the Police."

The 13 year old, along with two other boys aged 11 and 12 have since been caught by Cheshire Police and served with Acceptable Behaviour Contracts – which will be monitored for the next 12-months.

All calls to fire and rescue services are recorded. Anyone caught making a hoax call could have their mobile phone disconnected, they could face criminal charges and even a prison sentence.

Anyone with information about anyone involved in making hoax calls or setting fires deliberately should call Crimestoppers on 0845 555 111 or Cheshire Police on 0845 458 000.