Emergency services were plagued by a spate of hoax calls to the same street.

The timewasting callouts came after police published figures showing there were more than 15 hoax calls a day to emergency services in the county last year.

Sussex Police said they were called dozens of times to Seafield Road, Hove, between Monday night and Tuesday morning.

The fire and ambulance services were also called to the street several times.

Reports included a heart attack, a rape, people running amok with knives, and fires at different addresses.

Firefighters at Hove said they received five calls between 3am and 4am.

South East Coast Ambulance Service was also called several times.

A spokeswoman for Sussex Police said: “All the emergency services were severely affected by hoax calls, which we are duty bound to attend.”

Police confirmed a woman was arrested in Seafield Road on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly and assaulting a police officer. She was being questioned yesterday.

In January The Argus’s website published recordings of hoax calls to the fire service in an appeal for the public’s help in tracing the callers.

"Archery Road, Eastbourne"

"Moulsecoomb, Brighton"

"Aldwick Road, Bognor"

"Badger Walk, Chichester"

"Pavilion Road, Worthing"

Sussex Police recently revealed the county’s emergency services receive thousands of hoax calls every year.

In 2008 alone there were 5,739 hoax calls - or 15 a day - in Sussex.

In 2006 the figure was 9,486, or 25 a day.

Firefighters are called out about twice a day in the county to hoaxes.

Crew manager Stuart Black of Hove fire station said the fire service and phone companies work together to combat hoaxes several times every year.

Culprits can have their phones disconnected if they are confirmed as the source of hoax callouts.

Mr Black said: “It is going to delay the response to a life-threatening situation.

“If another call comes in the response will have to come from further afield, and that is adding five minutes to the time.

“Five minutes is a long time extra to be stuck in a burning building while we are dealing with a hoax call.”

Anyone with information about the calls is asked to contact Sussex Police on 0845 6070999.