Hoaxers stretch call-out services

Tens of thousands of hoax calls have been made to the emergency services in the West Midlands during the past few years, new figures reveal.

West Midlands Ambulance Service has logged almost 10,000 hoax calls in Staffordshire between 2006 and 2008, figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show.

The region's fire service has dealt with a total of 16,376 hoax and abandoned calls during the same period.

Today, emergency service chiefs called on the hoaxers to think twice before they waste time and resources and also called for anyone with information about people who make fake calls to contact the police.

West Midlands Ambulance Service revealed it has received 9,728 hoax calls in Staffordshire over the past three years – 3,945 in 2006, 2,937 in 2007 and 2,846 in 2008. It reported another 2,220 across Hereford and Worcester and 1,674 in Coventry and Warwickshire during the three years.

Figures for the Black Country and Birmingham are not available.

West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman Chris Kowalik said: "Hoax calls to the ambulance service not only waste the time of our staff, but also result in our vehicles going to 'emergencies' that aren't for real. There could be real emergencies happening and hoax calls, potentially, could endanger the lives of those who genuinely need us."

The figures released by the region's fire service reveal the total hoax calls received including abandoned calls for 2006 was 6,037, 5,204 in 2007 and 5,135 in 2008.