A growing number of 999 calls are made from mobiles

The force has launched a campaign to cut down the people who misuse the service.

Another caller rang to say her 18-year-old neighbour had been locked out but needed to get her coat from inside.

When police told the woman that her call was not an emergency, she went on to phone the fire service.

North Wales Police receive around 60,000 calls a month, of which 9,800 are 999 calls.

Other examples of inappropriate calls include someone reporting a missing dog, and an elderly woman who phoned to report her television was broken.

Police warn 'inappropriate' calls could have dire consequences

Sergeant Mason, from North Wales Police central control room, said the calls could have "dire consequences".

"It causes a danger in that unwanted calls are taking up lines that could be used for real emergencies," he said.

"While we are explaining it is not an emergency, someone else could be trying to get through."

He added that a growing problem was people whose mobile phones had run out of credit.

"They want to speak to a police station, but do not have credit to phone normally, so they dial 999 and ask to be transferred to a number," he said.

"Another waste of time is children playing with phones and calling 999 for the sake of it."

Of the 30m 999 calls that were handled by BT in 2003, 52% were hoax, misdialled or not appropriate for the emergency services.

London Fire Brigade received the most hoax calls, with 10,700, while Greater Manchester Fire Service received 5,700.