Shaky 'emergencies' among U.K. police calls

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DEVON, England, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- A spike in emergency calls prompted British police to remind the public to make sure they have a true emergency before dialing 999.

The Devon and Cornwall police this week released a list of some of the off-the-wall "emergencies" citizens have reported to 999, the British version of 911.

Police were summoned to such dire situations as a shopper who could not find her glasses after leaving a store and another person who wanted the electrical outlets in her home checked out.

Another woman anxiously asked police to pull over a taxi she had just exited because she had left her purse in the back seat.

The Daily Telegraph said questionable 999 calls were not limited to Devon and Cornwall. Ambulances were summoned in Wales by people bitten by hamsters or who had awoken from a night of drinking and realized they had been on the losing end of a bar fight.

Another fellow complained of sharp stomach pains at a pub in Cardiff. Once the ambulance pulled up to the emergency room entrance, the patient jumped out, said, "Thanks for the lift, mate," and ran off.