False fire alarm call outs to Inverclyde Royal and local residential care homes are costing £173,000 a year

Local fire chiefs are warning about the financial impact of automated fire alarm signals.

There have been 88 incidents since April this year and reducing the number of incidents is now a top priority for the local fire service.

In a performance report to go to the fire scrutiny board, the fire service said: "Hospitals and residential care homes account for approximately a third of all unwanted fire alarm signal incidents.

"False alarms account for a large percentage of all incidents.

"The reduction of these remains a priority for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service with robust procedures and stakeholder engagement strategies in place."

The report says the fire brigade have been called out to 480 incidents and 211 were classed as false alarms.

There are also other cases of false alarms with good intent plus malicious calls, which bring the overall total up to 211.

The report says this comes at an economic cost of £173,000.

Tackling the issue has been listed as one of six 'top priorities'.

The local fire service has been speaking with those involved to reduce the number of alarm activations.

Statistics show that there is an even spread of calls depending on the day of the week and the call outs occur mainly from noon onwards.

Meanwhie other priority areas earmarked for attention include reducing the number of deliberate fires outdoors, with grass fires set by school age children a big contributor.

Fire officers have been carrying out talks in schools in a bid to stamp out the problem.