POLICE IN BRITAIN have described a woman who rang the emergency services to report a missing snowman as “completely irresponsible”.

The woman, from Chatham in Kent, dialled 999 after noticing the snowman outside her house had vanished. During the call she said: “It ain’t a nice road but you don’t expect someone to nick your snowman.”

The woman believed the theft had warranted calling the authorities as she had used pound coins to make the eyes and teaspoons to make the arms of her snowman. She told the operator: “I haven’t been out to check on him for five hours but I went outside for a fag and he’s gone.”

The BBC reports that an incredulous operator asked her if  she was talking about an ornament, and she answered: “No, a snowman made of snow, I made him myself.”

Chief Inspector Simon Black said: “This call could have cost someone’s life if there was a genuine emergency and they couldn’t get through. It was completely irresponsible.”

He added: ”We have spoken to her and advised her what is a 999 call, and this clearly was not.”