GETTING teenagers out of bed isn't in the job description for a police officer, yet a mum decided to call 999 when her son refused to get up.

This is one of the bizarre calls made to Essex Police as the 999 service celebrates its 70th birthday this year.

Others include someone calling to say their hamster was trapped behind a wardrobe and another asking for an officer to come and remove a spider.

But these calls could cost lives as genuine emergency callers cannot get through.

Chief Insp Nick Lee, of the communications division, said: "These calls may seem amusing, but the callers are clearly misusing the 999 facility.

"We are using the anniversary of the system to get the message across that by making hoax calls, hanging up, or by using the service for anything other than its function, you hold up callers with real emergencies."

There were 13,193 calls which were not genuine 999 calls, between August, 2006, and August, 2007 - 10 per cent of all 999 calls to Essex Police.

Time-wasting calls to the police have included:

- Have you got the number for Crimestoppers?

- Can you take me home because I've got no money.

- I can't get a taxi home and I've got no credit. Can you phone one for me or give me a lift?

- My wife has been shopping but got on the wrong bus home. Now she's in Romford. What do I do?

- There's a parrot up a tree.

- What's the weather like tomorrow? I want to go for a picnic.