A fire brigade has teamed up with children's TV stars to step up its fight to end a plague of hoax calls.

Tyne and Wear Fire Brigade received 1,000 hoax calls last year.

To combat the problem, it has made a hard-hitting video featuring actors from children's drama series Byker Grove, that aims to show young people the dangers of making the calls.

The brigade's Chief Fire Officer, Richard Bull, said many of the calls come from children and young people.

"Unfortunately it is a lot of younger people, particularly people in their teens, who see it as a joke and perhaps a bit of a challenge," he said.

"But what we have got to make them realise is how much risk they are exposing themselves, even their own families, to should those fire engines be somewhere where they are not needed at a time when they are needed to save lives."

Fire officers will take the video into schools across Tyne and Wear. Mr Bull was also concerned about the amount of abuse the emergency services suffered while responding to calls.

He said: "I think there is a minority of people who see the emergency services, firefighters and paramedics in particular, as soft targets.

"It is appalling the amount of abuse my firefighters get on the streets - people throwing stones, potatoes, swearing, spitting general abuse when they are there to help people."