The London Fire Brigade has released a top 10 list of the strangest hoax calls they received last year in a bid to combat summer pranksters.
The LFB is Britain’s biggest fire service, and they received 6,820 fake calls in 2015. In a bid to reduce nonsense phone ins to the 999 emergency number, the organisation has released a list of the most bizarre blunders of the year.
One lying jokester claimed his pants were on fire, while another was simply trying to order a burger from McDonald’s. Here’s their top 10 list in full:
1. Caller said he was eating a hot chilli and his mouth was on fire
2. Man saying his pants are on fire
3. Caller claiming there’s a fire at the Statue of Liberty
4. Caller complaining of a barking dog
5. Woman calling to say she is scared of spiders
6. Caller stating she is scared of a dead cat outside
7. Person wanting a Big Mac
8. Children calling because they want to see firefighters
9. Caller asking for the Queen
10. Caller saying he’s the Prime Minister and reporting a fire at 10 Downing Street
In a statement, the London Fire Brigade’s Assistant Commissioner Tom George said: “This summer holiday we’re asking parents to talk to their children about why it’s a bad idea to dial 999 and make hoax calls.
“Sometimes children don’t understand the implications of making hoax calls or that they’re wasting precious emergency service time by doing so.
“I understand that some have health issues or genuine phobias which may impact on how they deal with certain situations, but many of the callers are simply messing about. Please talk to your children about the repercussions of making hoax calls and let them know that someone could be in genuine need of help whilst they’re wasting emergency service time.”
