NEWQUAY'S lifeboat team manager has criticised revellers who sparked an emergency response by firing a flare into the sky from the town centre yesterday evening.
Gareth Horner, of the RNLI, reminded people that the malicious use of distress flares is a criminal offence and ties up resources.
A lifeboat was launched and the resort's Coastguard cliff rescue team were called into action at 6.24pm after the flare was spotted.
They searched the coastline around south Fistral and Newquay harbour before investigations revealed the flare had been fired from within the town and the launch was recorded as a malicious false alarm.
Mr Horner said: "Distress flares are only for use in a genuine emergency. Malicious misuse of flares is a criminal offence and ties up numerous resources. Four RNLI crew went out on the lifeboat this evening but many more of our volunteers attended the station in response to their pagers, plus a similar response from the volunteers at Newquay Coastguard Rescue Team."
