Alliedassault - 9 9 oh

Lovers spark emergency response

A County Durham couple sparked a police emergency when they accidentally called 999 in the throes of passion.

Officers became concerned when a call came through but all they could hear was the sound of a woman apparently in distress, and a man in the background.

The call was traced to a house in Stanley and officers, believing it to be an emergency, rushed to the scene.

The alert ended after a dishevelled couple came to the door, reassuring officers no crime had been committed.

'Throes of passion'

A Durham Police spokesman said: "The couple, who answered the knock on their door just after 0200 BST, were rather surprised and not a little flustered to find uniformed police on the doorstep.

"Their dishevelled appearance was soon explained - it seems the physical activity taking place had been of the amorous rather than violent kind.

"In the throes of passion they had managed to roll on top of the telephone, which was resting on the floor, and accidentally depressed the number nine button."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/3760358.stm