'Running out of toilet roll' among frivolous 999 calls

[Jazzy]

Running out of toilet roll and difficulty ringing a Chinese takeaway have been revealed as some of the frivolous 999 calls made to a police force.



Devon and Cornwall Police said other unnecessary calls made last year included reporting a leak in a bathroom and someone wanting a lift home on Christmas Day.



It comes a day after North West Ambulance Service said it was ''disappointed'' to receive a number of time-wasting calls despite a plea to the public to use the emergency services wisely.



Last week Greater Manchester Police also released audio recordings of prank callers reporting a marmalade theft and an Emmerdale plotline as it urged the public not to abuse the emergency 999 number.



A spokesman for the Devon and Cornwall force said its operators had released a flavour of some of the inquiries they have had to bat away to allow genuinely urgent calls to get through.



One entry on the police log read: ''Just received a 999 call from a male saying 'I have run out of toilet roll'.''



In another example of inappropriately using the 999 number, a woman who had been trying to contact her local Chinese takeaway, called police after finding that they were not answering.



She called the emergency number to ask if they knew if the takeaway had closed down or moved. She told the operator she had no concerns for them, and that she just wanted some food.



The North West Ambulance Service said yesterday that it had received 2,265 calls from midnight on New Year's Eve until 7am on New Year's Day, of which only 546 were serious and immediately life-threatening incidents.



One of the calls included asking a paramedic to take a dog's temperature.

Source



They should fine these idiots for abusing an emergency call line.

 

[Evil Eye]

They should fine these idiots for abusing an emergency call line.

You mean they don't?

 

[Jazzy]

I didn't see anything in the article that states they issue fines.

 

[Evil Eye]

Managed to find this: http://wtvbam.com/news/articles/2012/may/23/new-michigan-law-targets-911-prank-calls/

Actually finding US laws through your government site is an enormous pain by the way.

 

[Jazzy]

I know in the US certain states have set fines for prank 911 calls.



This article, however, is about prank calls in the UK.

 

[Evil Eye]

Oh, sorry, wasn't paying attention

I'm not sure, but it does seem like they don't fine

 

[Jazzy]

Perhaps they should start. That's a lot of prank calls from midnight New Year's eve to 7 am New Year's day.

 

[Evil Eye]

Yeah, would be a good idea.

Over here you have to pay all associated costs (and that's before any sentence is passed)... it doesn't seem to apply to minors though, so one has to wonder how useful it really is.

 

[Jazzy]

Yeah, would be a good idea.

Over here you have to pay all associated costs (and that's before any sentence is passed)... it doesn't seem to apply to minors though, so one has to wonder how useful it really is.

Wouldn't it be the parents responsibility to pay the cost for their child if the child was a minor?

 

[Evil Eye]

Wouldn't it be the parents responsibility to pay the cost for their child if the child was a minor?

You'd think so, but the wording seems to suggest otherwise