Crash aid firefighters angered by hoax call (From Gazette & Herald)

Crash aid firefighters angered by hoax call

A HOAX call to firefighters was just minutes away from having serious consequences for the casualties of a road accident.

Malton firefighters were called to a road accident involving two cars at Church Street, Old Malton, at 11am on Saturday. Four people suffered minor injuries and the firefighters assisted with first aid until a second ambulance crew arrived.

While they were treating the casualties a 999 call was received from Mill Street, Norton, so a firecrew from Pickering was mobilised.

"The call turned out to be a hoax," said leading firefighter Stephen King.

"If the call had been made five minutes earlier the Malton firecrew would have gone out to that instead of the road accident, and the casualties who needed medical attention would have had to wait between 15 and 20 minutes for the Pickering fire crew to arrive."

A young boy has been reprimanded for making the call.

Updated: 11:07 Monday, October 06, 2003