A MAN dialled 999 after a woman stubbed her toe on a Christmas tree.

Another man called the Welsh Ambulance Service to wish his friends a merry Christmas.

In more inappropriate 999 calls in the last year, one man asked for ambulance assistance to get into a locked church, while another called with toothache.

The Welsh Ambulance Service has published a list of inappropriate calls from the past year to signal the launch of its Be Wise Save Lives campaign for people to use 999 sensibly as it heads into the busy winter period.

Of the 470,601 calls received in the last year, 116,674 – almost a quarter – were categorised as not serious or immediately life-threatening.

Chief Executive Jason Killens said: “Inappropriate calls to our emergency ambulance service are a problem year-round, but especially as we head into winter when people are sicker and we have adverse weather to contend with.

“Our ambulance service exists to help those whose life is in imminent danger and for those who are seriously ill or injured.

“Time spent by call handlers tied up with a stubbed toe could be time spent giving CPR instructions for someone in cardiac arrest, or arranging help for the victim of a road traffic collision.

“Blocking our precious resources with these types of calls could literally be a matter of life or death, and our request to the community is simple; help us help you when you need it most and think carefully before you dial 999.”