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Woman called 999 for broken nail

A woman in a nightclub phoned for an ambulance after breaking a fingernail.

Another woman dialled 999 saying a mouse had swallowed her medicine.

Other calls included a man who needed someone to change the television channel, a man who had a dream he was unconscious and had collapsed and a caller who wanted a can of pop out of the fridge.

They were among thousands of timewasters revealed to have blocked 999 lines.
The North East Ambulance Service also highlighted the growing number of revellers who call an ambulance to save queuing for taxis.

They fake injury then wrongly assume ambulance staff will take them home after treatment.

A spokeswoman for NEAS said: "Some of the calls we get are ridiculous. We had two more just last night.

"One was from a woman who said her boyfriend was drunk and she needed help to get him upstairs to bed. Another was from someone who wanted us to deliver a takeaway to them."

Last year demand rose by 15% from November to December.

Control room manager Graham Robinson said: "At this time of year, our demand increases dramatically. We urge members of the public not to call 999 unnecessarily."

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Santa catches streaker

Father Christmas has been hailed a hero after helping to arrest a streaker in the US.
He helped police catch a 35-year-old man who was running naked outside a police station in Damascus, Virginia.

Santa told News Channel 11: "He sees you when you're sleeping, he sees when you're awake, and he sees when you're naked coming down the street.

"I've seen a lot of things in my life, but that has to be one of the strangest I have ever witnessed."

Santa, who requested that his identity be withheld, said he was driving his car when a man behind him began throwing trash, parts of his truck and then his clothing out the windows.

"By the time he got into Damascus and jumped out of the truck, he was stark naked," Santa said.

Police officers rushed out of the police station after hearing squealing tyres and Santa was able to point out the naked man who was promptly arrested.

Police Chief Tony Richardson said: "He said that he had been to the dentist and taken some pain pills and apparently he took too many.

"I'm standing here with this naked man handcuffed and then here comes Santa Claus. I said: "Can it get any better than this?""