FIREFIGHTERS slammed child pranksters who sent them on three hoax calls in as many days.

Crew manager Liam Wilson said the malicious callers in Blackburn were putting lives at risk by reporting incidents that did not exist.

In the latest, crews from Blackburn were sent to homes in Gorse Road, Irving Place and Glenloose Crescent between Sunday and Tuesday after children from the addresses dialled 999 shouting "fire, fire".

Fire crews arrived at each of the addresses only to find there was no fire.

Mr Wilson said: "In each instance the calls were made from the house to our control room and we obviously have to attend when calls like these are made.

"If there had been a real fire somewhere else in the town we would have had difficulty attending it and crews would have had to have come from further away.

"I don't think some people understand the serious consequences of making malicious calls. They are putting lives at risk."

The number of everyone who dials 999 automatically comes up on the control room's system and all calls are recorded.

Phone companies, including mobile operators, can then be asked to disconnect the number if the call was malicious.

However according to statistics hoax calls have decreased over the years.

Ten years ago there were around 5,000 malicious calls every year in Lancashire - now there are around 1,300.

Mr Wilson said firefighters in Blackburn were attempting to put a stop to the "menace" by continuing work with local children and hosting regular fire safety events.

A spokesman for Lancashire Police, said crimes of this nature were taken very seriously and any incidents that were proven would be punished.

Fire officers said each of the children's parents were warned if it happened again they could have their line disconnected and be fined £1,000 following the incidents.