A teenage Manchester United fan from the Bingham area was so irate at the red card given to Nani in last night’s game against Real Madrid that he called 999.
The 18-year-old called the police at around 9.20pm last night after the Portuguese winger was controversially dismissed.
He later apologised for his actions, claiming to have been caught up in the excitement.
Control Room Chief Inspector Ted Antill said: “While this recent example may be amusing, it illustrates the sort of insincere calls we have to deal with on a daily basis in the Control Room.
“They waste our time and they direct us away from genuine victims of crime, particularly if we dispatch officers out to something that turns out to be a bogus report.
“I would ask people to think before picking up the phone for emergency services. I would also advise parents to ensure your children are aware that prank calls and the reporting of made-up crimes is a crime in itself.
“There may be people out there in real trouble who need our help and they have to wait because we are tied up with calls like this one, reporting a referee from the television.
“It’s no joke. In this case, the man realised his bad judgement and apologised and we decided not to pursue it further. But we can and we do prosecute people for wasting police time and making false reports.”
There were 6,933 recorded hoax calls to Nottinghamshire Police in 2012, with calls increasing during holiday periods, and especially in August. This amounted to around 2% of all reported incidents.
Only call 999 in an emergency, if a crime is in progress or life is at risk. Otherwise, for police or crime-related queries call 101. To make an anonymous report you can also call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.