Police in Kent have warned people not to abuse the 999 system -- after a woman called the emergency number to report her snowman had been nicked.

The caller said she had just looked outside her house and noticed that the snowman had gone.

When asked if it was an ornamental snowman she said: "No a snowman made of snow, I made him myself," adding that she'd used money for the eyes.

Then she utted the classic line, "It ain't a nice road but you don’t expect anybody to nick your snowman."

Officers who branded the call "completely irresponsible" say the woman was told not to misuse the 999 service… and that her snowman may have flown away.

Chief Inspector Black said: 'We do have powers to prosecute people for misusing the 999 system.

"But in this case the woman genuinely thought this was a theft that she should report it because she’d used pound coins for the eyes and teaspoons for the arms.'