Girl, 11, in court for making false calls to the fire station

In May this year, Littlehampton firefighters apprehended two girls following a series of malicious calls from a phonebox in Fitzalan Road.

One of them was charged by police under the Fire Services Act on three counts of knowingly giving a false alarm of fire.

The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, will be electronically tagged to make sure she obeys the order, which states she must be at home between 7pm and 7am every day.

Littlehampton fire commander Trevor Worsfold said: "We had a number of calls telling us of fires in number two Fitzalan Road.

"You could set your watch by the times they made the calls. We waited in a car by the phonebox and watched them make calls from it and then checked the times and the number with our headquarters in Chichester.

"The danger in making malicious calls is very simple. The resources could be needed elsewhere at the same time, which could mean a delay in responding to a call.

"A life could be lost through someone's stupidity in making malicious calls."

Chris Bishop, the West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service district commander for Arun, said the prosecution should serve as a warning to other young people who may think of dialling 999 for a prank, especially with the onset of the school holidays.

He said: "You are putting other lives in danger because those fire engines might be needed elsewhere. It's something we take very seriously, and depending on the circumstances of the case, you will be prosecuted."