Firefighters responded to a 999 call in Ponsanooth this morning that turned out to be a hoax.

The Critical Control Centre received a 999 call at 9.28am on Sunday stating a property was on fire in Ponsanooth.

Two appliances from Falmouth and one from Truro arrived at the scene, where, after talking to a resident of the property, they confirmed there were no signs of fire and that the call had not originated from the address.

Hoax calls to any emergency service tie up valuable emergency resources and prevent them from responding to genuine calls.

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

Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service recorded an average of 47 hoax calls per financial year between 2014 and 2017, while the average recorded cost of hoax calls is approximately £250 per call out.

All 999 calls made to the Fire and Rescue Service are recorded and can be instantly traced back to the caller.