A British woman called the 999 emergency number when her new pet rabbit did not match its newspaper advert description as its ears were not floppy, according to Central Scotland Police.

The police force, which said on it wanted to highlight abuse of the 999 phone system, also revealed that two callers had rung up within minutes of each other to complain about being splashed by a car driving through a puddle.

"It is unbelievable that anyone should phone 999 to report being soaked by a passing car, ask for a postcode or report that the item bought from a newspaper advert was not as described," said Chief Inspector Alan Stewart.

- Reuters