A EIGHT-year-old boy made a hoax call to the fire brigade last night -- because he wanted to see a Green Goddess.

The youngster, who has not been named, dialled 999 from a public phone box at the junction of Mossfield Road and Harrowby Street in Farnworth at about 7pm -- an hour after the fire strike ended -- and told the operator a house was on fire in Harrowby Street.

Firemen from Bolton Central and Bolton North stations attended the scene as crews from Farnworth were already attending an incident, leaving Bolton without cover.

However, they grew suspicious when they drove up and down the street and could not see any trace of a fire.

The call was traced to the phone box and a group of youths standing nearby pointed out the eight-year-old Farnworth boy who had made the hoax call.

Fire chiefs say he told them he had called 999 because he wanted to see a Green Goddess -- even though firefighters had returned to work an hour earlier after 48 hours of industrial action over a pay dispute.

Police were called and he was taken home.

Sub Officer Wayne Guffogg said: "We explained to him how dangerous making a malicious call is. During the time we were in Farnworth, Bolton was left without any cover. We called the police because what he did was a criminal offence.

"We are trying to crack down on malicious calls.

"To make a malicious call when there is limited coverage is even more dangerous."

Bolton Central Fire Station received a total of five hoax calls last night.

A police spokesman said the boy was "taken home and advised in front of his parents."

Firefighters returned to work at stations across Bolton at 6pm last night.

But they still face the prospect of another walkout next Friday when the union has planned an eight-day strike starting at 9am.

At Bolton Central station the crews claimed they had been overwhelmed by the amount of public support they had received.

Union representative Simon Connor, who has been a fireman for 15 years, said: "We need to say a big thank you to all the people of Bolton who have shown us so much support. People have been bringing down food, drink and money for us.

"There's been a minority of people who told us to get back to work, but we expected that. We need to let the public know that there's more at stake than just the pay issue. The Government is trying to get rid of night-time fire cover and wants to turn us into paramedics.

"We're really hoping that we won't have to go on strike again because it's been so hard. I felt sick on the day of the strike. The deaths across the country have upset us all."

Sub-officer Wayne Guffogg, who was due to start work at 6pm, said: "We all want to get back to work and do the job that we love.

"It's hard to put the eight day strike to the back our minds because it is so serious, but we'll be getting on with the job and giving 100 per cent."

A Green Goddess was sent out to only one job in Bolton yesterday after a rubbish fire started in Astley Bridge.

The soldiers were called to the incident in Blackburn Road at 4pm.