US police in films and TV programmes are often portrayed as having a sweet tooth for doughnuts - The Simpsons being just one example.

So it may be no surprise when some officers in Georgia claimed they were in "mourning" after dozen of the tasty treats fell from a delivery truck and ended up along the kerb and in the gutter.

The officers from Brookhaven said the Krispy Kremes were not able to be eaten and were a "total loss" amid the "carnage".

They said they arrived at the scene quickly but "could not beat the five second rule" - the hygiene myth that you can only safely consume food if it's been on the ground for less than that time.

Image: The pastries fell from a delivery truck

Officers put up photos of the aftermath of the spill on Facebook, showing some of the doughnuts on the side of the road.


The post read: "Just moments ago, your Brookhaven police officers answered the call each of us fears most.

"Dozens of doughnuts fell from a Krispy Kreme delivery truck as it drove along Peachtree Road. BPD rushed to the scene, but to no avail. We found total carnage; doughnuts scattered along the curb and into gutter - THE GUTTER, people!

"The response time was stellar, but we couldn't beat the five second rule. We are deeply saddened to report that the donuts were a total loss.

"As you can imagine, this is a very difficult time, and the senseless loss of these delicious pastries has deeply affected all of our officers."

Image: The treats ended up along the kerb and in the gutter

The post ended with a simple request: "We ask that you keep our department in your thoughts and prayers as we mourn this terrible moment. OnlyHalfKidding."

Luckily for the Brookhaven police, a group of fellow officers came to the rescue in their time of need.

The department shared an update showing a box of doughnuts that were delivered to their offices, with the caption: "Shout out to our friends at Gainesville police department for this amazing batch of sympathy doughnuts."

In a statement obtained by Fox News, a spokesperson for Brookhaven police has since confirmed there were no non doughnut-related injuries as a result of the spillage.

"It appears that the doughnuts fell from the open door of a Krispy Kreme truck. No one was injured and no crashes were reported.

"Our officers got the debris from the roadway and we thought it was a good chance to engage our community through a light-hearted post!"