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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

wibu to have dialled 999 sheep in the road?

68 replies

fteguu123 · 15/10/2015 12:36

Genuinely don't know if I was being unreasonable this morning. I live on a road which is long but you can only drive out one end. The other end has alleyway leading to another road. My road backs onto large field full of sheep. This morning at 8.15 approximately 50 sheep were running around the road and in gardens. The primary school is less than 10 minute walk away and children would soon be leaving to walk to school. I immediately rang 999 for the police. Police woman said he'd send someone out to them. Speaking to other people since and all surprised I rang emergency number. Wibu?

OP posts:

landrover · 15/10/2015 12:37

I think thats fine, they were a danger to traffic etc, of course you right!

Jaxsbum · 15/10/2015 12:37

yanbu
I would have thought it was ok to ring them

WorraLiberty · 15/10/2015 12:37

Well what did the police say?

That's all that matters.

If they thought you were BU, then you probably were. If not, then you probably weren't.

KingJoffreyLikesJaffaCakes · 15/10/2015 12:37

If they were running in the road they could cause an accident.

You did the right thing.

MajesticWhine · 15/10/2015 12:38

I don't think it would have occurred to me to ring 999. But it's probably not unreasonable as such.

LisbethSalandersLaptop · 15/10/2015 12:39

Seems a bit of an extreme reaction to me but then I live in Wales.
Dont you know where the farm is?
Anyway not to worry, the situation is sorted now.
I know that if I did that in my village, it not make me popular. Just saying.

DamsonInDistress · 15/10/2015 12:40

Yes YWBU, it's not an emergency imo. If it's a one exit road it sounds as though cars would have been going reasonably slowly, and I can't see how children leaving for school with parents is particularly dangerous? 101 or whatever it is would have sufficed.

paulapompom · 15/10/2015 12:40

I think that's reasonable. There could have been an accident. A small pony got onto a road near me and my uncle rang 999, unfortunately before police arrived there was a collision and more than one car was involved .

LisbethSalandersLaptop · 15/10/2015 12:42

sorry but I dont see how sheep could have 'caused an accident' - ponies quite different!

G1veMeStrength · 15/10/2015 12:42

On a motorway or busy road then definitely call 999.

On a not so busy road I would probably call 111 or 101 but I can never remember which is police and which is NHS!

MrsLeighHalfpenny · 15/10/2015 12:42

I would have rung the farmer, not the police. Sheep aren't a danger to children, and that seems to have been your main concern.

If they were in a 30mph area, they wouldn't really be a danger to traffic either.

Being in your garden would probaby make a mess, but that's hardly an emergency - that's also something to sort out with the farmer if they eat a priceless piece of topiary or something.

Police should have more important things to worry about than sheep in gardens.

expatinscotland · 15/10/2015 12:43

I live in rural Scotland so would probably have gone to the nearest farm and chapped the door.

wasonthelist · 15/10/2015 12:46

When I lived in a more rural area we rang the farmer (or went to see him), and sometimes gave him a hand to round them up, but I guess if you don't know who they belong to you can't.

As far as "children would soon be leaving to walk to school" - unless you have a reason to think these are particularly vicious sheep I wouldn't have been too worried about that.

It's not in the category of very obviously wrong 999 calls, but I wouldn't have done it unless it was a motorway or very busy A road in an unfamiliar area.

squoosh · 15/10/2015 12:48

I'd love to wake up to see 50 sheep having a bit of a wander. I've as much chance of seeing a flock of dodos though.

Pinkrblue · 15/10/2015 12:49

On a motorway YANBU. In a quiet residential St yabu

expatinscotland · 15/10/2015 12:50

Yeah, sheep tend to run away from loud noises and people, they are easily startled.

BarbarianMum · 15/10/2015 12:53

I think 101 would have been more appropriate tbh.

I live in a suburb with 1 field of sheep (remnants of an old farm). They escape at least twice a year and rampage through the streets (heading for open countryside?). When this coincides with the school run the kids are all delighted the sheep less so.

swisscheesetony · 15/10/2015 12:53

Yabu of course. Precious resources for sheep?

Unless of course you'd been unable to sleep all night due to watching the film about zombie sheep.

mmmuffins · 15/10/2015 13:07

YABU. If you live next to the field I would have assumed you knew which farm the sheep belonged to and would go tell them, but if you don't then 101 surely. It's hardly an emergency that sheep are out unless they are wandering into a motorway.

TheWitTank · 15/10/2015 13:08

I have rung the non emergency number before for cattle in the road - but it was winter, 10.30pm, and the cows were roaming across a tight bend on an unlit country road (but a fairly main country road). I only avoided ploughing into them as I was driving cautiously and one of the cows turned and it's eyes reflected in my beams (they were all black so very hard to spot until up close). I was so worried that there was going to be an accident that I pulled to the side with my hazards on and called straight away. Police were very thankful and came out straight away to cone off the road while they tried to contact the right farmer. I don't think you needed to call 999 for this-101 would have been sufficient.

katemiddletonsothermum · 15/10/2015 13:09

My husband once hit a cow in his car. We phoned the police on 101 to report it and the police said that we didn't have to report it at all. HOWEVER, the police said that if he had hit a sheep that he would definitely have had to report it.

So YANBU and you did the right thing.

Axekick · 15/10/2015 13:12

I would have gone with 101, personally.

jaswales · 15/10/2015 13:12

I came across a herd of cows once but used 101. Unless it's life or death I wouldn't use 999.

FyreFly · 15/10/2015 13:19

If they were on a fast, busy road then I would have rung 999 - the same as I would for if there was any unexpected obstruction (fallen tree, broken down car, spilled cargo) on a fast and busy road which was in immediate danger of causing an accident.

If they were just on a generic country road I'd have run 101 so they were aware, but to be honest if there was only a handful of them I'd have shifted them myself. Or gone to the farmer if I knew where he'd be.

Graceymac · 15/10/2015 13:20

I have called the local police station directly when I have seen horses and cows on the side of the road but not 999.

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