“Could somebody bring me a packet of cigarettes?” Those were the words of a 999 caller to Cambridgeshire Police.

The frustrating incident was highlighted by the force on Twitter, saying that calls like that ‘put lives at risk’.

The recording, which is less than a minute, shows the transcript of the call and had more than a dozen retweets.

Caller: Could somebody bring me a packet of 20 King Size Red Royals please?

Call Handler: Say that again? Sorry.

Caller: A packet of King Size cigarettes.

Call Handler: Ok do you understand that you have called police 999 life or death emergency?

Caller: Yes

Call Handler: Well unfortunately you getting a packer of cigarettes is not a life or death emergency.

In a statement Cambs Police said: “Our control room takes thousands of calls each month.

“Examples like this could cause a delay in us speaking to people who really need our help.

“Calls like this put lives at risk. Please only dial 999 when there is immediate danger, threat to life or a crime is in progress.”