Kent firefighters were sent to nearly 2,500 false alarms caused by automatic systems in the county last year.

A Freedom of Information Request has revealed crews were sent out more than once a week in some areas to automatic fire alarms, only to discover there was no fire.

The worst offending places were Gravesend, Northfleet and Gillingham.

In a bid to reduce wasted time, Kent Fire and Rescue Service call handlers often call ahead to locations where an alarm has been triggered to confirm if there is a fire.

Gravesham Central had the most false alarms, with firefighters sent to the area 70 times in 2017.

One of the worst offending addresses was Homemead Court, a retirement home.

It is understood firefighters have been sent to false alarms at the council-owned premises because there is no longer a live-in warden on site.

Additionally, Gravesham Borough Council has one of the highest amounts of council housing in Kent, which are often equipped with automatic fire alarms.

Cllr Steve Thompson, who represents the worst offending ward, said he often sees the fire service’s blue lights from his living room in Gravesend.

He added: “Not only is this taking away resources that could be used elsewhere, it is causing a lot of disturbance for neighbours in the area with fire engines turning up just to leave minutes later.”

KFRS spokesman Kirsty Gearey said call outs to false alarms have reduced in the last five years but these incidents can be reduced simply by “careful planning”.

"Not only is this taking away resources that could be used elsewhere, it is causing a lot of disturbance for neighbours" - Cllr Steve Thompson

She added: “We advise anyone with an automatic alarm to have them regularly serviced, and on resetting ensure the information on the panel is used to investigate the reason the detector was activated and deal with any faults.

“False alarms from automatic systems can be caused by a variety of reasons, most of which can be eliminated by careful planning.”

Automatic fire alarms are often set off by dust in the air, vandals, faulty equipment or by accident when someone is not familiar with the system.

Gravesham Borough Council spokesman Sarah Knight said the council was working with KFRS to find “appropriate solutions” and added residents often set off the alarms while cooking and are advised to open their windows.