The smell of the sea near a beach, and ice that had been ‘stolen from a drink’ are just some of the inappropriate calls Devon and Cornwall Police control centres have received recently.

Now, police are tackling inappropriate phone calls by launching a campaign to inform people who they should call in a variety of situations that aren’t deemed as emergencies.

The police said that on an average day, call handlers deal with 859 emergencies and 1,195 non-emergency calls. These numbers rise significantly at certain times of year – especially during the summer months when millions of visitors arrive to holiday in Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Call handlers are put under significant stress trying to answer calls in a timely manner, find solutions to callers’ issues, and ensure the right response when people need it most.

Pressure on emergency services is not helped by a significant number of accidental or inappropriate calls, which tie up staff and prevent them from dealing with real emergencies.

Below are some of the inappropriate calls that Devon and Cornwall Police have received recently.

A call from a lady in Bideford about a Peacock in the road, who looked “sad as he had lost his friends”

A woman who was a patient in Derriford Hospital reporting the lights had been turned off.

A call from a group of drunk students who had found a “sad looking seagull” and “did the police want to come and take it to the vet??”

A call from a young man who had got back to his hostel ‘very drunk’ to find the door locked. He didn’t want to knock and wake people up – so he called the police.

A call from a woman who wanted to report “the theft of ice cubes from her drink”.

A call from a holidaymaker from Liverpool, on 999, reporting seeing some deer in a housing estate. He was stunned and sending his friends photos.

A visitor decided to wild camp on Dartmoor and called 999 after seeing and hearing horses around her tent. She was scared and worried the horses were upset and angry at her.

A 999 call from a woman who was stuck in a jumpsuit and couldn't get out.

A call from a holidaymaker complaining that their Airbnb doesn't have linen.

A call from someone complaining that a wedding venue isn't 5*.

Assistant Chief Constable (ACC) Nikki Leaper said: "The Force understands that some calls are made accidentally and the quickest way for us to deal with them is for the caller to stay on the line so we can confirm that they don't need any help.

“If it happens to you, please don’t hang up – stay on the line and explain what’s happened. We will understand."

Every call made to 999 is investigated, even when someone hangs up. Calling by accident is not the only reason people hang up. Someone might be scared, unable to talk – or even forced to put the phone down, so the police must investigate to find out what has happened. It can take up to 20 minutes to confirm all is ok each time a call is terminated.

ACC Leaper continued: “Staying on the line means we can make sure you are ok in a fraction of the time, freeing up our staff to answer more calls and help more people.

“We know there are lots of things that people need help to get sorted out – everything from swarms of bees, fly-tipping, noisy neighbours and lost dogs to untaxed or abandoned vehicles,” said ACC Leaper.

“All those things are annoying, and you might need support to get them sorted out, but when you do, who are you going to call – the police aren’t always the best or the correct place to start," said ACC Leaper.

The Force is equally concerned with the number of calls received that should be directed to other agencies. These include: 

Abandoned cars and antisocial parking are dealt with by the local council.

Untaxed cars should be reported to the DVLA.

Lost or found dogs should be reported to the dog warden.

Noisy neighbours should be reported to the local council's environmental health team.

Minor traffic collisions don’t need reporting to the police provided you have exchanged details with the other party.

Making the first call the only call you make, helps you resolve your issue more quickly and helps the police concentrate on the things that keep our communities safer.

For more information visit www.devon-cornwall.police.uk.