A Test Valley mum dialled 999 for help because she was “too drunk” to pick her children up from school.

The woman made the call to police on Tuesday afternoon.

Officers were called to an address in Romsey to “provide support” to the family. Two children, both under 11, are now back in the care of their mother and her male partner.

Police confirmed that they arrested a man at the address in connection with an “historic assault”, not related to the children or the 999 call made by his partner.

The case has been referred to social services, but it is unclear whether any further action will be taken against the couple.

As previously reported in the Advertiser thousands of inappropriate 999 calls were made to Hampshire’s emergency services during 2011, putting lives at risk and wasting tens of thousands of pounds.

Fewer than one in six 999 calls made to Hampshire police in 2010/11 were for a genuine emergency.

Bizarre calls to the ambulance service included people asking for help to find a remote control, change a lightbulb or even calling a paramedic to get a glass of water because it was too cold to get out of bed.

On one occasion an ambulance was called to an incident of “uncontrollable bleeding” and arrived to find someone who had just popped a spot.

It prompted the emergency services to launch a hard-hitting campaign film to show how lives are placed in danger when inappropriate calls drag vital resources away from those who really need help.

Inspector Jackie Willson, from Romsey police station, described the latest call as “more of a cry for help” from the parent.

She said: “We had a call from a mother saying she was too drunk to pick up her children.

“She had had a bit to drink, but she was by no means paralytic.”

“She just needed a bit of support, I think, which we provided.”