Woman dials 999 after being sold a rabbit with non-floppy ears

A woman dialled 999 because a rabbit she bought via a newspaper advert did not have floppy ears, Central Scotland Police have said.

The force is urging the public not to dial 999 unless they are faced with a genuine emergency.

The reminder comes after operators, who receive 34,000 999 calls a year, said the number was being dialled for "wholly inappropriate reasons".

One call was from a woman splashed by a car which drove through a puddle.

The force said staff were verbally abused after challenging her for using the emergency line for her complaint.

Ch Insp Alan Stewart, of the force communications and control centre, said: "It is unbelievable that anyone should phone 999 to report being soaked by a passing car, or report that the item bought from a newspaper advert was not as described."