BOLTON'S most prolific fire hoaxer has been warned he will got to jail if he commits another offence.

Jobless loner Neil Byron's obsession with the fire brigade saw him make at least 20 bogus phone calls in 18 months.

Bolton magistrates yesterday sentenced him to a two-month prison term, suspended for two years, and imposed a curfew order which bans him from leaving his home in Stanworth Avenue, Breightmet between 7pm and 7am. He was also fined £2,000.

In his latest hoax alerts last weekend, Byron, aged 24, told the fire service the whole ground floor of Bolton Community College was ablaze on two separate nights - so he could get a kick from seeing engines racing to the scene.

Answering the calls is estimated to have cost taxpayers £40,000.

Fire chiefs say the prank left the whole town without fire cover after they sent four fire enginess. The say they hope Byron's punishment will serve as a warning to other hoaxers.

Station Officer Ian Duckworth, of Bolton Central fire station, who led the investigation, said: "This really could have made the difference between life and death.

"While we are dealing with one of Byron's calls, it leaves us unable to respond to emergencies and when we deal with house fires, every second counts.

"Byron has been dealt with for about 20 offences, but I believe he was responsible for many more."

The court heard that Byron made three calls at the weekend, telling fire service operators that the college was on fire.

The first of the calls, at about 2.45am on Saturday, was ignored but he called back immediately and repeated the hoax before fire engines were sent to the scene.

He made a third call at 2.50am on Sunday morning, almost exactly 24 hours later, and made the same call. His voice was recognised by firefighters investigating the hoax calls. Byron pleaded guilty to four counts of giving a false alarm of fire, one relating to a call he made from a phone box to report a fire in his road in April.

The court heard that Byron pleaded guilty to two charges of making bogus calls under the Fire Service Act 1947 at separate hearings at Bolton Magistrates Court in April and May.

The charges related to a total of 14 bogus calls Byron made between July 18, 2005, and April 14 this year. He was then given a community service order.

Sentencing Byron yesterday, chairman of the bench Nat Biney, told him:"If you commit another offence like this, you will go to prison."