OMEN
12-07-2010, 01:10 AM
A woman who called 999 to report a stolen snowman has been branded "completely irresponsible" by police.
She thought the 'theft' merited police involvement because she had used pound coins for the eyes and teaspoons for the arms.
The caller, from Chatham, Kent, has been "spoken to" by officers to advise her about what counts as a real emergency, reports The Sun.
Kent Police issued a transcript of the call which they received as they fielded thousands more from people due to the sub-zero conditions.
In it the woman tells the operator: "There's been a theft from outside my house.
"I haven't been out to check on him for five hours but I went outside for a fag and he's gone."
The operator asks "Who's gone?" and the woman replies: "My snowman. I thought that with it being icy and there not being anybody about, he'd be safe."
The incredulous operator asks her: "Do you mean an ornament?" The woman replies: "No, a snowman made of snow, I made him myself.
"It ain't a nice road but you don't expect anybody to nick your snowman."
Chief Inspector Simon Black said: "This call could have cost someone's life if there was a genuine emergency and they couldn't get through. It was completely irresponsible."
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She thought the 'theft' merited police involvement because she had used pound coins for the eyes and teaspoons for the arms.
The caller, from Chatham, Kent, has been "spoken to" by officers to advise her about what counts as a real emergency, reports The Sun.
Kent Police issued a transcript of the call which they received as they fielded thousands more from people due to the sub-zero conditions.
In it the woman tells the operator: "There's been a theft from outside my house.
"I haven't been out to check on him for five hours but I went outside for a fag and he's gone."
The operator asks "Who's gone?" and the woman replies: "My snowman. I thought that with it being icy and there not being anybody about, he'd be safe."
The incredulous operator asks her: "Do you mean an ornament?" The woman replies: "No, a snowman made of snow, I made him myself.
"It ain't a nice road but you don't expect anybody to nick your snowman."
Chief Inspector Simon Black said: "This call could have cost someone's life if there was a genuine emergency and they couldn't get through. It was completely irresponsible."
Orange