A hoax caller rang 999 and told the operator a Tesco store was on fire and there were screaming people trapped inside. Fire crews raced to the shop in Northwich, Cheshire, only to find no such blaze.
Senior medics had also been alerted. When firefighters arrived they found the shop, on the corner of Chester Road and Pleasant Street, was open as normal, Cheshire Live reported.
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said the hoax call diverted precious resources from potentially life threatening incidents. People caught making hoax 999 calls can be prosecuted and brought before a judge.
