Drunk phoned 999 about lost sausages

An alcoholic who dialled 999 three times to report he had lost eight sausages has been fined. Mark Holbrook, 47, of Claremont Road, Tunbridge Wells, dialled the emergency number repeatedly on August 8 while intoxicated. The first time he reported that he had taken eight hostages.

At Sevenoaks Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, prosecutor James Nichols said that Holbrook then phoned police again just before they "pushed the panic button" to tell them he had actually lost eight sausages.



Mr Nichols said: "Police warned him not to ring again and it was not the way to use 999. He then phoned back again to say, 'No it's okay, I've found them.'" Holbrook ended up in court after he threw away a police fine without paying.

Andrew Main, defending, said Holbrook had drunk even more than usual that day after hearing of his mother's death. Chair of the bench Linda Campin, who stifled laughter as the facts of the case were read out, ordered Holbrook to pay a £65 fine, a £15 victim surcharge and £85 in court costs.