VOLUNTARY lifesavers have criticised the time wasted by a hoax caller who claimed a man had suffered a cardiac arrest on a North-East beach.

Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade was called to attend Tynemouth Longsands by the Coastguard after it received a report of a man suffering a heart attack, with cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) being performed.

Reservations were held over the validity of the incident, however, as the call was made from a phone box about half-a-mile away from the beach.

It was also the only reporti of the so-called casualty, despite the beach being busy, on Saturday afternoon.

Following a search, the brigade and the ambulance service confirmed there was no casualty requiring assistance and all rescue units were stood down.

The call was then marked as a ‘malicious hoax’ and a report was made to Northumbria Police .

Brigade captain Peter Lilley said: “It’s needless and a total waste of our time and resources, particularly when we are a volunteer team, working for free.

“We need volunteers and this upsets them when we waste their time.”