THOUSANDS of readers have been logging on to the Bolton Evening News website in a bid to trap hoax 999 callers.

We launched our "Shop A Hoaxer" campaign jointly with the fire service this week to track down the menaces who put other people's lives at risk by reporting false emergencies to the fire service.

And so far more than 3,000 people have listened to the recordings on our website of hoax calls.

Those who believe they have recognised the callers have been phoning Crimestoppers, helping police to close the net on the hoaxers.

So far this week, we have featured a man in Deane attempting to report a flat fire, a man claiming there was a kitchen fire at a house in Hall i'th' Wood, a man in Breightmet calling to report a fire in the bedroom of a house and a woman claiming there was a fire in the Johnson Fold area.

We have placed another hoax call on our website today a man reporting smoke coming from a house in Netherfield Road, Great Lever.

If you think you know who the caller is, call Crimestoppers, anonymously if you prefer, on their freephone number: 0800 555111.

Vinny Simpson, Bolton Borough Commander for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, said: "We welcome this partnership with the Bolton Evening News and are hopeful that it will build on the positive results we have had in reducing hoax calls.

"Year on year the different schemes we have in place drive the figures down, by educating people about the dangers of making hoax calls.

"Making a hoax call at any time is a mindless act which puts lives at risk and costs the people of Bolton money."

It cost £1,700 for the fire service to turn out to that incident.

Bolton's firefighters were called out as a result of 306 hoaxes between April, 2005, and March this year nearly one a day at a total cost of more than £500,000.

All 999 calls are traced and recorded and the fire service collaborates with mobile phone providers and can request that phones be disconnected. Adult hoaxers are likely to face a fine or prison.

Offenders can be fined £80 on the spot or be sent to court, which could result in either a £5,000 fine or six months in prison.