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Two more join calls of shame

Emilene White
1/ 3/2007

HUNDREDS of Advertiser readers have logged on to listen to the shameful 999 hoax calls on our website.

We now have two more recordings of callers wasting valuable time that could be spent attending genuine emergencies.

The first claimed to be a disabled man from Denton when he called from a mobile phone at 9.44pm on 19 February.

Putting on an obviously faked stammer, he first says there is a fire off Cemetery Road and then near St Anne's Road.

The 999 operator rapidly works out that the call is not genuine and puts a trace on it while challenging the man.

Realising the game is up, he hangs up.

What he might not realise is that the fire service works with mobile phone providers in combating hoax calls and could get his phone disconnected.

So far this year an average of 16 a month have been cut off.

Another man dialled 999 after midnight on 27 January from a phone box in Audenshaw.

He claimed there was a chip pan fire in a house on Aldwyn Close and a fire engine was despatched needlessly, at a cost of around £1,700.

Making a hoax call is a criminal offence and can result in a fine of up to £5,000 and up to six months in jail.

If you have any information about the people making the call, please contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Click on the links below to hear the clips ...

Related Audio Clips

• Denton hoax caller
• Audenshaw hoax caller