Hoax callers putting lives at risk were today warned their voices and photos are to be released to the public in an effort to stamp out the dangerous pranks.

Martyn Hodder, assistant divisional commander at Southend fire station, in Sutton Road, Southend, said during April and May firefighters have been getting an average of five calls a day.

This compares to the normal average of five a month. In one call, the hoaxer claimed her mother was trapped in a burning flat. But when fire crews arrived, they found the address did not even exist.

Now firefighters have joined forces with Southend police to "name and shame" the offenders by playing the voices of hoax callers on local radio and TV stations and publishing CCTV pictures of the suspects.

Mr Hodder said: "It will not be long before somebody dies because of the actions of these sick pranksters."

"We have CCTV pictures of some of the offenders which we are planning to publish soon and are working in conjunction with the police to nail the culprits.

"We also plan to 'name and shame' the suspects by playing their voices on local radio and TV stations."

Published Thursday, May 22, 2003

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