A man jailed for making hoax phone calls to the fire brigade was a "sad and pathetic individual" spurred on by drink and boredom, a Court heard.

Stephen Travers was today beginning a six-month sentence for a campaign which cost the taxpayer thousands of pounds.

West Yorkshire Fire Service welcomed the result and highlighted a get tough stance against bogus callers.

Bradford magistrates heard Travers, 35, of Tranter Grove, Tyersal, Bradford, admitted pestering the fire service over a period of four years.

Each time he called he told the operator there was a property on fire, sometimes claiming there were people trapped inside.

Many of the calls were to the homes of his neighbours and at least one was to his own home.

For years such cases have been brought under the Fire Services Act 1947 which meant they could only be dealt with by magistrates and the maximum sentence was six months.

Now, in a determined crackdown on bogus callers, culprits are being charged with the common law offence of causing a public nuisance and could face much heavier sentences if they are sent to Crown Court.

Assistant Divisional Officer Brian Robson, of Bradford fire station, said: "The police and fire service have been working very closely together because of the seriousness of matters such as this and the risks involved.

"We are very pleased with the result of the case and hopefully this will send out the message that those making hoax calls will be caught and severely punished.

"The words sad and pathetic which were used by his own solicitor sum him up very well. He could offer no real reason why he made the calls and he clearly had no perception of the effects they would have."

Gill Cuthbert, prosecuting, described how Travers made regular fire calls from two telephone numbers between April 1996 and February this year.

Richard Davies, mitigating, described the calls as the "sad act of a pathetic individual''.

Travers, he said, had acted in a state of boredom as a result of being on long-term sickness benefit and added drink was a factor in the offences.

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