Hoax calls cost the brigade thousands of pounds each year

In 2002 46 fake calls were made to the area fire service from BT phone boxes, whereas this year no calls were recorded.

It follows a UK-wide poster campaign warning people of the dangers of making malicious calls.

The initiative targeted 2,200 BT kiosks and led to a fall in phoney calls of almost 78% across the UK.

It costs the service about �300 to send a fire engine to each incident.

People have to take responsibility for their own actions and think about the effect their actions have on other people Maria Stevens, Mid and West Wales Fire Service

Maria Stevens, of Mid and West Wales Fire Service, said: "It is not just the financial impact but the impact on cover for the general public provided by the fire service.

"When we attend hoax calls we are diverting resources away from genuine calls - people trapped in fires and road traffic accidents.

"People have to take responsibility for their own actions and think about the effect their actions have on other people."

In 2002 74,000 hoax calls were made to the fire service, taking the cost of phoney call-outs to more than �22.2m.

In north Wales 30 phone boxes were targeted and the number of hoax calls dropped from 210 to 59.

South Wales Fire Service recorded a fall to 34 malicious calls from 91 after posters were placed in 30 phone boxes.

Last year 2.6 million emergency calls were made from BT phone boxes.