A lifeboat was sent in gale conditions to the latest hoax call

In the past two months, members of the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) in Llandudno have received four hoax emergency calls.

In the latest incident on Saturday, a lifeboat crew was sent in search of a fake fishing vessel in gale force winds and 12ft high waves.

The bogus calls received by coastguards are similar to those made to the other emergency services in north Wales - who have collectively more than 2,600 bogus callouts in the past 12 months.

"Hoax callers are a huge problem and they are an enormous drain on resources," said a spokeswoman for North Wales Police.

In the first 11 months of this year, the force received 1,148 hoax calls.

Hoax calls since January 2003 North Wales Police - 1,148 North Wales Fire - 1,062 North Wales Ambulance - 418

"Such reckless behaviour endangers the lives and safety of the public," she added.

On Saturday night Holyhead coastguard received a 999 call from someone alleging a 32ft fishing boat called Caprice had engine problems and was floating in a dangerous position off the coast of Conwy.

Keith Charlton was a member of the six man crew sent out on the hoax emergency call..

Mr Charlton, a volunteer lifeboat man for 21 years, said lives had been put at risk by the hoaxer.

"We launched into a strong gale which was gale eight, 12ft high waves. The weather was quite atrocious," he said.

"We would be seen to rigorously prosecute those responsible for such reckless acts North Wales Police

"We got to the position( where the boat was supposedly missing) but there was nothing there, we searched the water and set off illuminating flares.

"All the crews lives were put at risk. They're putting us at risk, the boat at risk and somebody else who could need us.

"This is the fourth hoax call in the past two months," he said.

Altogether the fire, police and ambulance services in north Wales have received more than 2,600 bogus calls so far this year.

The figures are down slightly on the year before but all agree there are still too many.

A spokesman for North Wales Police said they would "rigorously prosecute" hoaxers and work in with British Telecom and CCTV operators to identify them.

During last year's nationwide fire strike tapes of hoax callers were released by North Wales Police.

While the action was a success, officers have no intention of releasing further hoax material for the time being.