Firefighters were called to a house fire in Strood, but it turned out to be a false alarm.

Strood fire station took a call about a blaze in Laburnum Road yesterday evening. When the crew got there it became apparent it was a malicious call.

It was traced to a 10-year-old in Wainscott and the firefighters visited his home.

“We told him about the dos and don'ts of putting in malicious calls,” one of the firefighters said.