'You cannot make this up': 999 call handlers taken aback as man asks police to get his drugs back
The 999 operators at West Yorkshire Police are used to fielding all kinds of inappropriate requests but a call received this weekend has been dubbed the worst yet.
Recent months have seen them dealing with hoax callers with a "horrendous attitude" and a woman calling to ask that her fiancé be released from prison in time for their wedding.
Now the force's contact management centre has shared the details of a call made by a man complaining that bouncers had taken his drugs off him.
In a tweet posted earlier today, the team wrote: "Well, you cannot make this up. Call on 999 from male. His exact words were, 'Bouncers have taken my gear off me'.... Then even accused them of sniffing it..... He wants us to get his property back and get the bouncers done for 'sniffing gear'. Honestly, this was a genuine 9s."
The post was shared with the hashtags #Not999 - which is used to educate the public about time wasting calls - and #WorstOneYet.
While some of the more absurd calls received might raise a smile, the force highlights them in order to share the more serious message about how such calls take the operators away from answering those about genuine emergencies.
West Yorkshire Police offers a number of ways to make contact and report non-emergency incidents. It has a dedicated 101 number, an online chat facility and online reporting forms for a range of issues including anti-social behaviour, criminal damage, drug dealing and theft.
It is currently recruiting more contact officers to join its centres at Dudley Hill Police Station in Bradford and Laburnum Road in Wakefield.
The role offers a salary of £21,399 with a 20 per cent shift allowance and 13.45 per cent weekend enhancements, taking the salary to £28,556 for full-time staff.
More information on the role and the application process is available on the West Yorkshire Police website.