999 call after hamster escapes

Police released a recording of a woman who dialled 999 to say her hamster had escaped as they pleaded with the public today to use the service only for genuine emergencies.

South Yorkshire Police said eight out of 10 of the emergency calls made to its Sheffield control room do not require urgent attention.

In one call a woman tells the operator: "It's my hamster. It's got out of its cage. It's gone into the bathroom and it's gone down into the floorboards."