British police have condemned a woman for being
"completely irresponsible" after she called 999 to report the theft
of a snowman.
The woman from Kent, in southeast England, rang the emergency
number after looking outside her house to find that the snowman had
disappeared.
She told the operator: "Theres been a theft from outside my
house. I havent been out to check on him for five hours but I went
outside for a fag and hes gone."
When the operator asked who had gone the woman replied "my
snowman".
"I thought that with it being icy and there not being anybody
about hed be safe," she added.
"It aint a nice road but you dont expect anybody to nick your
snowman."
Kent Police warned people not to abuse the 999 system after
receiving more than 8,000 general and 999 calls in 48 hours --
double the number they normally receive -- during early snowfalls
which have swept the country.
"This call could have cost someones life if there was a genuine
emergency and they couldnt get through. It was completely
irresponsible,' said chief inspector Simon Black.
"We have spoken to her and advised her what is a 999 call, and
this clearly was not."
He said that although police had the powers to prosecute people
for misusing the 999 system, the woman would not be charged.
"In this case the woman genuinely thought this was a theft that
she should report it because she used pound coins for the eyes and
teaspoons for the arms," he added.