FIREFIGHTERS smashed their way into a property after a malicious call reported a fire at the house.
A caller on a mobile phone said a person was trapped inside a house on fire in Chapel House Road, Nelson, at9pm.
Sub-officer Neil Hardiman said: "We could see a light on upstairs, so we thought somebody was inside. We had to put the front door through to check inside the house."
He added: "This was a complete waste of our time. We were tied up for 40 minutes which means we weren't available for any real emergencies."
Police are investigating the incident to try to trace the caller.
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