EMERGENCY services have branded a hoax caller a "lunatic" after a malicious call left Hyndburn without any fire cover.

Police say they are investigating the call which they believe was made by a child using a mobile telephone.

The call, saying someone was trapped in a car after a road accident, was made to emergency services at 7.30pm yesterday.

Fire crews went to Marshall Avenue, Huncoat, where the accident was supposed to have happened but there was nothing there.

The call tied up every appliance except one in Hyndburn, including the incident support unit and leaving no cover for real emergencies. Three police cars and an ambulance also attended.

Station officer Steve Harrison today said: "They are abolute lunatics, they have no concept of what they are doing. It was a stupid thing to do and it stripped Hyndburn of its cover because of some idiot thinking it's clever to ring something in like that.

"It could be their family who are trapped somewhere else or their children in a house fire and if we can't be there it means appliances have to come from Blackburn or Burnley and the ISU from Chorley, and it's just not viable.

"We have had a couple of calls recently that have stripped us of cover entirely. It's as if they know we have to send everything to a road accident because it's labour-intensive and difficult to deal with."

Sgt Claire Holbrook of Accrington police, said: "Hoax calls can cost people dearly. Lives can be placed at risk while officers are attending the false call.

"Other members of the public may have genuine emergencies which are subject to delays in our arrival time as our colleagues in the fire service will verify."