A man who deliberately smashed a fire alarm in student halls has been convicted of criminal damage.

Daniel Cottage, 27, was staying with a friend at the University of Sussex campus in Falmer, Brighton, when he smashed a call point glass cover at 1.30am on July 16.

Cottage, of High Street, Kettering, appeared at Brighton Magistrates' Court on October 14 charged with criminal damage.

He was sentenced to a 12-month conditional, ordered to pay a £50 and £250 compensation to meet the cost of the call-out of the appliance on the night.

Borough Commander Keith Ring said: “Every time an appliance is called out unnecessarily it means our crews are unavailable to attend a potentially life-threatening incident. It is not only about the money but the danger that this type of action can place the public in.”

“We hope that this acts as a stern warning to anyone else thinking of committing a similar offence, as we will not hesitate to take legal action against the culprit.”