AN initiative to combat the growing menace of hoax 999 calls from phone boxes is being launched by BT Payphones and Hereford & Worcester Fire Brigade.

Last year, more than half of the five million calls made to the emergency services from BT phone boxes were false or malicious calls.

Research conducted by BT Payphones shows that while malicious calls are a problem for all the emergency services, it is the fire service that is most affected.

The fire service estimates that on more than 81,000 occasions last year, fire engines attended false alarms as a result of malicious calls. Over 435 of these were made to Hereford & Worcester Fire Brigade alone.

BT has invited individual fire brigades across the country to nominate the worst-affected kiosks in their areas, which will then be fitted with eye-catching posters warning against the dangers of hoax calls. Additionally, throughout Great Britain, on the inside of kiosk glass, 7,500 posters will carry an anti-hoax calls message.

To check the success of the campaign, BT Payphones will closely monitor the volume of hoax calls from kiosks once the warning posters are in place.

This autumn, BT will repeat its 'Kiosk Kate' education programme, which ran successfully last year. Under the scheme, primary schools host a series of presentations from BT Payphones' engineers.

Malcolm Newing, director of BT Payphones, said: "Hereford & Worcester isn't the worst area in the country for hoax calls, but the figures are worryingly high. Most false 999 calls are made by children and although the culprits are generally in their teens, we're convinced that getting the safety message across to younger children will prevent them getting involved in this kind of activity when they get older."

Ian Jallands, fire officer from the Hereford & Worcester Fire Brigade, which is supporting the BT Payphones' campaign, said: "Malicious calls reduce the efficiency of any fire service, because obviously fire engines cannot be in two places at once. If crews are responding to hoax calls, they are not available to answer genuine calls for help. Any delay in attending an emergency could mean the difference between life and death."