Man called 999 after pedal fell off bicycle

A man whose pedal fell off his bicycle and a woman who wanted a lift were some of the recent calls to 999, Cambridgeshire Police has said.

The force said another man complained his new TV had broken.

Separately, officers asked people to report non-emergencies online to ease the "constant daily pressure" on the 101 service.

A total of 20,938 calls came through to the force's 101 line last month.

“We are pleased to offer the people of Cambridgeshire various ways to get in touch to report non-emergencies," said Supt Neil Billany.

“However, despite all these options, our 101 phone line remains under constant daily pressure.

“The only difference between calling 101 and reporting something online is the technology you use to make the report. The process on our end, and the outcome, will be the exact same."

The 101 line was often used to report council-related issues, police said.

These included complaints of noise, litter, pests, drug paraphernalia, dangerous buildings and burst water mains.

Cambridgeshire Police said recent inappropriate calls to 999 included:

• A pedal falling off a man's push bike
• A man reporting that his recently purchased TV had broken
• A drunk woman complaining that her friend asked her to leave her house
• A man asking about TV licences
• A woman asking for a lift to Fulbourn in Cambridgeshire
• A man complaining that he was waiting for a call back from the doctors

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