A woman wanting help to tidy her kitchen was just one of the people who rang 999 inappropriately over a bank holiday weekend.

As Monday's bank holiday approached, North West Ambulance Service is urging people in Cumbria and beyond to think twice before calling the emergency services.

Other inappropriate calls received over last year's summer bank holiday weekend included a man who rang 999 because his toenail had changed colour and a woman with a cotton bud stuck in her ear.

Tony Newsham, 999 call handler, said: “A bank holiday is the perfect opportunity to spend time with your family and friends, but for the ambulance service it’s a holiday where we see a large increase in the number of calls to 999.

“We tend to see an increase in calls from people who don’t know where to seek alternative medical care when their GP practice is closed, with conditions such as sore throats and aches and pains."

The ambulance service is urging people to keep a well-stocked medicine cabinet, visit a pharmacist or call NHS 111 for conditions that are not serious.

To avoid illness or injury, the service urges people to drink lots of water and keep out of the sun.

During last year's summer bank holiday, 999 calls to NWAS increased by 6 percent.