999? YOU’RE SPROUT OF ORDER
A DISGRUNTLED takeaway customer rang 999 after she was sent three portions of saveloy and chips instead of one.
Her bizarre complaint was among more than 25,000 timewasting calls received by police in London this year.
Others singled out for timewasting include a man who phoned 999 to ask what time it was, and another who called to complain that a packet of biscuits he had bought were out of date.
Officers said that the calls, as well as wasting police time and resources, potentially put Londoners in real life or death situations at risk.
Between January 1 and November 30, the Metropolitan Police’s Command and Control call centre received well over two million calls.
Of those, more than 25,000 were rejected by call handlers after being identified as hoaxes.
People in non-urgent situations who need the police are encouraged to call 101, rather than 999, or even tweet officers. Chief Superintendent David Jackson, who is in charge of call handling for the Met, said: “Although these calls can be perceived as amusing, they are actually a huge waste of resources.
“Hoax calls block the number from other members of the public who could be calling 999 in a real emergency.
“It means people in danger are kept waiting for longer and it puts lives at risk.”
He added: “If you are in a situation where you need to speak to the police, please think.”
IT is not just the Metropolitan Police that has been on the receiving end of timewasting phone calls.
South Wales Police fielded the query: “Where can I buy Brussels sprouts? It’s an emergency – I haven’t got any for Christmas dinner.”
Officers in Cambridgeshire were contacted by a woman complaining about the after-effects of eating a curry.
And Warwickshire Police tweeted: “Latest 999 call: ‘Just got off my train at the wrong train station. I need police to take me home’. Advised to ring for a taxi…”