RSPCA reveal list of comic calls from the public

The RSPCA have released a list of their more bizarre call outs from the public - revealing a pattern for people mistaking inanimate objects for live creatures.

In one incident, RSPCA collection officer Lauren Bradshaw rushed to reports of a baby crocodile on the side of the road in Cheshire, only to discover it was a plastic one.

Animal welfare officer Carl Hone was called to catch a stray snake in a Surrey loft - which turned out to be a child's toy.

Alan Farr was asked to help find a bird stuck in a loft, but found nothing more than a smoke alarm with a flat battery.

"I went into the lady's home and we could hear a regular 'peeping' noise," said the animal collection officer," Mr Farr said.

"She said she thought it was coming from her roof so we looked and looked. After searching around and unable to find the mystery bird I then went into her front room and found a smoke alarm beeping after the battery had gone flat."

Liz Braidley had a surprise when she responded to a call about an escaped tortoise in Sheffield. "I went into the lady's garden to try to capture the tortoise and it soon became clear that he wouldn't be giving me the run-around - as he was made of stone!" she said.

Not all comic calls involve soft toys and flat batteries. Inspector Vicky Hancox was called out to rescue a greedy squirrel who had become stuck inside a squirrel-proof bird feeder.

The charity said they receive one call every 27 seconds - more than one million a year and have urged people to make sure they have a genuine problem.

Charity spokesman Dermot Murphy said: "We know that people mean well and most of these calls are not made in malice, and although we would like to be able to help everyone, we simply haven't got the staff to personally investigate each and every issue that the public brings to us."