999 caller asked officers how to cook chicken

What temperature to oven cook a chicken and requests for taxi numbers are just some of the 999 “emergency” calls a British police force has received.

Cumbria Police has since launched a campaign to raise awareness of the different policing services available to ensure people get the right response and information for the right situation.

Information leaflets and cards will be distributed to local police desks and social media feeds will focus on directing people towards the most appropriate service for their needs, with the hashtag #PolicingCumbria.

Chief superintendent Steve Johnson said he hoped the campaign would make people think before picking up the phone and dialling 999, which could prevent an urgent call coming through.

He said: “We get people calling us to ask for the number of a taxi firm or to ask directions, and we recently had a caller ask what temperature they should put the oven on to cook a chicken. This may seem amusing, but could have prevented us from speaking to someone who required an urgent response.”

As a result of the campaign which also encourages people to look to their website, it is hoped that unnecessary demand on the service will be reduced allowing officers to focus on tackling crime.