A spate of hoax calls yesterday has prompted an urgent warning for people to think twice before a silly prank puts someone else’s life in danger.

Cornwall Councillor Sue James, Portfolio holder for Environment and Public Protection, said the Critical Control Centre received 12 hoax calls on Sunday 20 May 20.

“Operators treat every call as if it were serious until they are certain it is not. Skilled fire service control operators realised the calls yesterday were a hoax so no appliances were mobilised, reducing the waste of resources and the risk crews would be delayed attending a real emergency,” she said.

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

All 999 calls made to the Critical Control Centre are recorded and can be instantly traced back to the caller. This doesn't just apply to land lines; even calls from public phone boxes and mobile phones are taped and could be traced.

Even dialling the prefix '141' will not block your identification when making a 999 call.

“People don’t always think about the consequences of their irresponsible actions. In the worst case scenario, a hoax call endangers lives and can cause serious harm to property. Anyone thinking it’s funny or just a prank should think again.

“The Fire and Rescue Service knows the phone number of all callers and has a recording of their voice so can and will report hoax calls to the police to investigate,” Cllr James said.

In 2016/17, Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service recorded 51 hoax calls. The average recorded cost of hoax calls is approximately £250 per call out.