A hoax caller endangered lives by bringing Brighton firefighters out on a false alarm on one of their busiest nights of the year.
Crews from Preston Circus turned out to Boyces Street, off West Street, Brighton, after a caller from a phone box reported smoke coming from a window.
It was one of nine shouts for the watch overnight on Saturday (2 April) and Sunday.
When the East Sussex Fire and Rescue crews reached Boyces Street shortly after 3am on Sunday (3 April) they found no smoke and no fire.
Preston Circus Station Manager Tony Gurr said: “If crews attend operational incidents and it turns out to be a hoax call, it can have extremely serious implications if another fire call is received at the same time.
“Crews may have to attend from other parts of the county and this could cause a time delay which, ultimately, could mean the crucial difference between life and death.
“People who make malicious calls can be forced to have their mobile phone cut off and, in some cases, could even face a prison sentence.
“All call numbers are now monitored and recorded.”
