Woman who reported faeces in her garden included in newly released list of 'spurious' police calls

Another caller rang to claim there were 'two million wasps' in his street

Amongst the many spurious calls police receive, one elderly woman rang to complain about a large amount of faeces that had accumulated in her garden.

“I don’t know if I’m making a big fuss,” she begins, “I’ve been outside to put my rubbish in the containers but there seems to be a lot of excretion in the garden.”

Despite her concerns over both the origin and health consequences of the unwanted deposits, the call handler politely suggests the woman would be better off calling the local council.

The transcript of the conversation was released by West Midlands Police to discourage unnecessary calls to their non-emergency 101 hotline.

Other such requests for help include reports of over-loud chimes on an ice cream van, a bird falling from a tree and another caller claiming there were "two million wasps on my street".

West Midlands Police said some members of the public treated its 101 number as a "general directory" service - posing questions which could be easily solved by an internet search.

Demand on the 101 service has peaked in July during each of the last three years due to anti-social behaviour, rowdy summer parties, domestic abuse, and alcohol-related incidents.

In the last month alone, 101 advisers in the West Midlands have taken calls from people about "botch-job" haircuts, broken clocks, and broadband problems.

General requests for phone numbers have even been fielded by call-handlers.

Head of force contact Chief Superintendent Jim Andronov said: "The 101 number provides a vital service for people to contact us for non-emergency matters - but some people treat it as a general directory service.

"We take literally hundreds of spurious calls a month.

"These take up valuable police time and delay us dealing with genuine police matters. Many of the queries could be resolved with a simple internet search so our message is: Think before you call."

Examples of the proper use of 101 include reporting a car as stolen, damaged property, or anyone suspecting drug-dealing in their neighbourhood.

Additional reporting by Press Association