Published at 11:08, Thursday, 28 June 2012

MALICIOUS pranksters targeted a derelict factory as they twice falsely lured firefighters to the scene.

Factory Fire: The empty Kangol site at Cleator to which fire crews were called twice in one day

The day shift at Whitehaven fire station received the first call to the former Kangol factory, in Cleator, at 5.25pm on Monday after receiving reports that the complex was ablaze.

However, on arrival they discovered that youths or pranksters had broken into the factory and had piled up rubbish in the centre of an empty room and set fire to it.

It took firefighters minutes to extinguish the small fire, before returning to the station.

Two hours later, a second 999 call came in, reporting another blaze at the former hat factory. When firefighters arrived they found no sign of a fire.

A spokesman for Whitehaven fire station said: “Call operators suspected it was a hoax, as the man became abusive when they asked for more information.

“However, because of the earlier fire, they felt it was still justified to send a crew.

“Unless a call can be proved to be malicious, we have a duty to respond to all reports.

“This is a waste of resources and could risk lives, as an appliance could be unable to respond to a genuine emergency.”

Cumbria Police is now investigating.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk