Hoax callers in Kent are being given a stark warning - report a false alarm and lose your mobile phone.

It comes after firefighters were sent out to a call reporting a house fire, which turned out to be fake.

They handed the mobile phone number to Kent police - who immediately disconnected the prankster's handset and demanded an £80 fine.

Larkfield and Horton Kirby firefighters were sent to Meadow Bank Close, West Kingsdown, following what control room operators believed to be a genuine emergency call to a house alight. When they arrived at the scene, they realised it was a hoax.

Larkfield Station Manager Colin King said: “Our control centre staff do challenge callers who they believe are making hoax calls. However, in this instance, the caller appeared genuine.

"When it was realised that the call was a hoax, the recording of the call was handed to the police with the culprit’s mobile number, resulting in the disconnection of the phone and a fine.”

Those making a hoax call from a mobile phone for the first time will be sent a text message warning of disconnection.

If It's used again maliciously, control staff will request disconnection by the service provider. In some instances, as with this one, Control can request for the phone to be cut-off immediately.

Those who make hoax calls to the emergency services face a maximum of £5,000 fine, six months in prison, or both.