A CALLER dialled 999 to ask frontline ambulance staff if they could check his Chinese takeaway to make sure it was fit for him to eat.

Other people have used the emergency number to ask for the television channel to be changed or for a cup of tea, South Western Ambulance has revealed.

One caller who had run out of mobile phone credit wanted to get a message to his family - and a lift home.

The trust, which operates from Dorset to the Isles of Scilly, says it is also on the receiving end of some increasingly elaborate hoaxes. Some 999 callers have claimed bogus heart attacks, deaths, stabbings and premature labour.

The service normally takes more than 1,500 emergency calls a day, but was bracing itself for even more on the bank holiday.

The trust has launched a campaign to encourage people to stop and think whether they really need to dial 999, which should only be used for those who genuinely need immediate emergency care.

"There have been a few cases where frontline crews have been dispatched to an incident which is not a life-threatening emergency," explained a spokesperson.

"During that time, genuine life-threatening situations have arisen, and due to the commitment of a vehicle on another job, a patient's life is put in jeopardy."

The trust urges people to ring their GP or NHS Direct on 0845 4647 for non-urgent complaints.

Examples of when to ring 999 include when someone is unconscious; having trouble breathing; is bleeding heavily; has prolonged bad chest pains; suffers a stroke; has broken bones or deep wounds.

Chief executive Ken Wenman said: "While we don't wish to scaremonger people and stop them from calling 999 when they are experiencing a genuine emergency, we want to educate and empower people by advising them of alternative options. Our service is not always the best and most appropriate for the patient."