EMERGENCY Services have issued a stern warning after a hoax caller rang Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service (CFRS) five times in a single day, diverting vital resources away from real emergencies.

CFRS reported that yesterday (Tuesday, February 11), they received five calls today from an individual requesting the assistance of the Fire Service. All five calls have been logged as hoax calls.

In a statement, it read: “A hoax call to any Emergency Service could cost lives, tying up valuable emergency resources and preventing them from attending a real incident. If there had been a genuine emergency, the nearest resources would not have been available and would have to be called in from another station further away putting lives at risk.

“Making hoax calls is illegal. People can, and have been heavily prosecuted for making hoax calls with a fine of up to £5,000 or six months in prison.

“In all cases we report the callers and their details to the police.”