'Don't call us about monsters' - 111 operators

Prank calls to 111 can result in prosecution. Photo / Ross Setford

If you're scared of monsters under the bed, emergency services probably shouldn't be your first port of call.

However, this morning the Fire Service received several 111 calls reportedly from a 15-year-old boy - because he said he was scared of monsters.

A spokeswoman for the Fire Service said she had "lost count" of how many times he had called and was unsure if he was serious or not.

Fire Service northern communications shift manager Jaron Phillips said the timewasting calls - that were made from a cellphone - had been referred to the police.

"111 is for emergencies only," he said.

"The risk is if we were to act on something malicious and fictitious, in this case it wasn't making up an actual emergency or anything but still timewasting speaking to call takers."

People who abuse or misuse the 111 emergency system can be prosecuted.

Under the Telecommunications Act 2001 (Section 112), charges of misuse of a telephone device carries a maximum fine of $2000 or up to three months imprisonment.

- NZME