Moron calls 999 to complain to police about pizza order being delayed for 30 minutes

A moron who dialled 999 to complain about a delay to their takeaway pizza has been slammed by cops.

The pizza prat called the life-or-death emergency line and moaned: 'I'm getting hungry and I'm waiting for my meal but they've said it is delayed by half an hour', Essex Police have said.

Another time-waster rang the force to ask officers to say his watch had stopped.

Both mindless calls were on Sunday June 5, when the force was coping with the usual weekend problems plus the added task of ensuring Jubilee celebrations ran smoothly.

Another fool dialled the 999 emergency number - to ask who he should call because he had 'a non-emergency'.

The hungry complainant decided to call the emergency police line to moan that their pizza was half an hour late (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Chief Superintendent Stuart Hooper, Essex Police’s head of contact management, said "Every day our operators taking 999 calls work tirelessly to make sure we get you the help you need and ensure our officers are where they are needed most.

"However, we are experiencing an increasing number of calls to 999 for matters which don’t require an emergency response.

"We want to help everyone, but in the moments it takes us to answer a 999 call for something that is not an emergency it could mean that somewhere, someone else who genuinely needs us quickly may be waiting to get through.

"If you need us but it is not an emergency, please consider using our website which is full of useful information which may help, using our online reporting or Live Chat functions to report crime or give us information, and you can also call 101.

Cops have urged people to only call in the case of an emergency (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

"Everyone who needs our help will get it, but we need you to help us to help you by using the most appropriate method of contact.

"Calling 999 must be a last resort and you should only use this service if you are reporting an emergency that requires an immediate and urgent police response.

"I would like to thank those people who contacted us yesterday through the channel that was most appropriate for their call.

"By doing so, you are freeing up our call handlers so that they can provide an almost instant response for people who find themselves in a real emergency and need to dial 999."