A Manchester United fan was so irate about Nani being sent off during last night's match...he called the police.

The 18-year-old rang 999 moments after the Reds' winger was shown the red card for a high-booted tackle during their crucial Champions League clash with Real Madrid.

The decision was considered a key turning point at Old Trafford, which saw the Spanish team overturn United's 1-0 advantage.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson was left furious with on-pitch official Cuneyt Cakir after Madrid scored two goals in quick succession and won the tie.

But this afternoon, police in Nottinghamshire confirmed that they had received a call from a local Manchester United fan at 9.20pm - moments after Nani was sent off.

The caller later apologised for his actions, stating he got "caught up in the excitement".

Nottinghamshire Police urged people to "think before they dial".

There were 6,933 recorded hoax calls to Nottinghamshire Police in 2012, with calls increasing during holiday periods, and especially in August. This amounted to around 2 percent of all reported incidents.

Chief Inspector Ted Antill, of Nott Police control room, said: “While this recent example may be amusing, it illustrates the sort of insincere calls we have to deal with on a daily basis in the Control Room.

“They waste our time and they direct us away from genuine victims of crime, particularly if we dispatch officers out to something that turns out to be a bogus report.

“I would ask people to think before picking up the phone for emergency services. I would also advise parents to ensure your children are aware that prank calls and the reporting of made-up crimes is a crime in itself.

“There may be people out there in real trouble who need our help and they have to wait because we are tied up with calls like this one, reporting a referee from the television.

“It’s no joke. In this case, the man realised his bad judgement and apologised and we decided not to pursue it further. But we can and we do prosecute people for wasting police time and making false reports.”

Only call 999 in an emergency, if a crime is in progress or life is at risk. Otherwise, for police or crime-related queries call 101.