THE phone boxes most used by serial fire hoax callers are revealed today.

We are identifying them as part of the Bolton Evening News Shop-a-Hoaxer campaign.

Dozens of bogus calls have been made from the three kiosks dubbed "hot boxes" by firefighters.

Fire chiefs have warned that the phone boxes are being monitored and said they could be fitted with hidden cameras to trap callers who risk lives and cost taxpayers in Bolton £500,000 a year.

The phone boxes are in Sandon Street in Daubhill, Tattersall Avenue in Johnson Fold, and at the junction of Padbury Way and Red Lane in Breightmet. They accounted for more than 10 per cent of all hoax calls across the borough in the last 12 months.

Station Officer Ian Duckworth of Bolton Central fire station said calls from the boxes had been reduced by firefighters visiting nearby schools to warn how hoax calls put lives at risk but he refused to rule out placing hidden cameras in the kiosks to trap serial callers.

"We know children are responsible for the calls being made from these particular boxes and find that visiting schools helps to reduce the number of calls," he said. "But if we continue to get hoax calls from particular payphones, we will consider using CCTV cameras along with BT to catch those responsible."

Bolton Evening News readers are being given the chance to help catch hoax callers, many of whom are adults, by listening to bogus fire calls on this website. A recording of one new call is being placed on the website each day. Anybody who recognises the voices should ring the Crimestoppers on freephone 0800 555111.

Fire hoaxers could be fined up to £5,000 and spend six months in prison. But Mr Duckworth said the cost of hoax calls could be more grave.

"If we are dealing with a hoax call at a time when there is a real emergency, we could lose vital seconds, which could be the difference between life and death," he warned.