THE trial of a girl accused of making a hoax telephone call to the Kent Fire and Rescue Service has been abandoned.

The 10-year-old, from Faversham, who cannot be named for legal reasons, allegedly made the call from a public phone box in Maidstone town centre.

She was charged under the Telecommunications Act 1984 of sending a false message causing annoyance or anxiety. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) withdrew the charges at Maidstone Youth Court.

A spokeswoman for the CPS said: "We felt that it wasn't in the public interest to proceed with the prosecution."

Prosecutors have to consider separately if there is enough evidence to enable a conviction and if a prosecution is in the public interest.