A HAMPSHIRE mum dialled 999 for help because she was “too drunk” to pick up her children from school, the Daily Echo can reveal.

The woman made the call to police on Tuesday afternoon, claiming that she was unfit to collect her two children from school after drinking an unknown amount of alcohol.

Officers were called to an address in Romsey to “provide support” to the family.

The two children, who are both under the age of 11, were today back in the care of their mum and her male partner.

However, the case has now been referred to social services.

It was unclear last night whether any further action would be taken against the couple.

Police confirmed that they arrested a man at the address in connection with an “historic” assault, which was not related to the children or the 999 call made by his partner.

Inspector Jackie Willson, from Romsey police station, described the latest call as “more of a cry for help” from the parent.

She said: “We had a call from a mother saying she was too drunk to pick up her children.

“She had had a bit to drink, but she was by no means paralytic.

“She just needed a bit of support, I think, which we provided.”

The incident comes after the Daily Echo revealed that thousands of inappropriate 999 calls were made to Hampshire’s emergency services during 2011, putting lives at risk and wasting tens of thousands of pounds in resources.

Fewer than one in six 999 calls made to Hampshire police in 2010/11 were for a genuine emergency, with just 15 per cent of requests requiring an urgent response.

Hampshire Constabulary received 243,601 calls during the course of the year, but only 36,234 were classed as a genuine emergency.

Bizarre calls to the ambulance service included people asking for help to find a remote control, change a lightbulb, or even calling a paramedic to get a glass of water because it was too cold to get out of bed.

On another occasion an ambulance was called to an incident of “uncontrollable bleeding” when in fact they arrived to find that someone had just popped a spot.

It prompted the Daily Echo to join forces with the emergency services to launch a hard-hitting campaign film to show how lives are placed in danger when inappropriate calls drag vital resources from those who really need help.

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