A woman called 999 asking police to rescue a goose which looked ‘hungry’ and had ‘lost its friends’.

The caller dialled the emergency number to tell officers she had spotted the lonely bird wandering around Blackley Cemetery on Victoria Avenue.

She said she feared the goose was in danger as it didn’t have any companions and looked like it needed feeding.

The call was made at around 10.45am on Friday, August 8.

The woman didn’t leave her name but was told the goose’s welfare was not a police matter and the call was not an appropriate use of the 999 number.

She was also advised to call the RSPCA if she believed the bird was injured.

A GMP North Manchester division spokesman said such calls were a ‘drain’ on police resources and could divert attention away from someone facing a life-threatening situation.

A statement said: “Hoax calls are a misuse of the system and put the people who are in need of urgent assistance from the emergency services at risk.

“They tie up the 999 lines and divert the emergency services away from people who may be in life-threatening situations.

“It is also a drain on resources of the emergency services, as it costs significant amount of money every time emergency services are deployed in response to a 999 call. If these calls are a hoax, then vital services will have been wasted.

“It is important to remember that 999 should only be used in an emergency requiring the attendance of the police, ambulance or fire service.”

The bizarre report is one of a series of inappropriate calls dealt with by Greater Manchester Police in the last year.

In January, a drunken Manchester United fan from Crumpsall called 999 demanding to speak to Sir Alex Ferguson following the Reds’ Capital One Cup semi-final exit at the hands of Sunderland.

In July, a customer in a Spa convenience store in Manchester city centre dialled the emergency number to complain a member of staff was using a knife to cut fruit behind the counter - arguing that he shouldn’t be allowed to hold a knife in public.

Earlier that month a northern quarter reveller rang 999 at 2am after claiming a doorman told her she was ‘too ugly’ to get into a bar.

To call police in a non-emergency situation, dial the 101 number.