Hoax Calls Fall After Online Campaign

A news site’s initiative to identify hoax callers has been credited with cutting the number of false 999 calls by over 20%.

Journalists at the South Wales Argus uploaded audio files of hoax emergency calls to their website earlier this year and encouraged visitors to name the culprits.

And South Wales Fire Service has revealed that the Argus’s first web-only campaign has led to a 22% drop in such incidents and saved the service an estimated £165,000.

Fire investigator Mick Flanagan told Holdthefrontpage.co.uk: “The website played a hugely important part.

“We are grateful to the South Wales Argus for this, and for giving us excellent coverage of every deliberate incident we have had in the Gwent area.”

Assistant editor Mark Templeton added: “The feeling from the fire service is that the thought of having your voice heard on our website if you make a hoax call is enough to deter some people from doing it.”