POLICE have warned young pranksters they are putting lives at risk by making hoax calls to the Fire Brigade.
Kids in Great Harwood have been activating fire alarms as a joke but police have said they are wasting the valuable time of fire crews.
The warning comes after a 13-year-old boy was issued with a £40 fixed penalty notice after activating an alarm at Mercer Hall, in Queen Street, Great Harwood, on Tues-day.
PC Lindsey Armstrong said: "I hope this serves as a warning to anyone engaging in such inappropriate anti-social behaviour that if you are caught, we will take action against you.
"Setting off hoax fire alarms puts an unnecessary strain on the emergency services which are already busy attending to genuine emergencies.
"I urge people to stop activating alarms unless there is a reason to do so."
Fire crews called out to respond to hoax alarms may be unable to attend to genuine emergencies, putting people's lives at risk.
In the last two weeks alone, the fire service has responded to three incidents in Great Harwood where the alarms have been activated by young people.
Phil Jones, Hyndburn Fire Station crew manager, said: "Activating fire alarms and making hoax calls is a real drain on resources.
"The Hyndburn borough has four fire engines, and if we send three out to a hoax that only leaves one for a real emergency."
Mr Jones said the crews are regularly called to the borough's high schools, the Market Hall and Hyndburn Sports Centre.
He added: "These false alarms put us, and the general public, at risk."
