A caller dialled 999 for an ambulance when a budgie was injured.

On another occasion a woman wanted help after splashing tomato ketchup on her face, another had sore pierced ears and a man had a problem with ingrowing toenails.

Staff at the Sussex Ambulance Service emergency control centre in Lewes also once had to deal with a query about worn-out batteries in a person's remote control.

These are the most recent examples of inappropriate 999 calls which have been revealed by Sussex Ambulance as part of a drive to make sure people only dial 999 in an emergency.

The busy summer period is approaching and the service believes lives will be put at risk if control room staff have to deal with the wrong sort of call.

There have also been a growing number of calls from people claiming to need emergency treatment but who only want a lift home.

Ambulance crews across Sussex attend about 500 emergency calls every day, a number of which do not require the attendance of highly-skilled ambulance paramedics and technicians.

During the recent three-day bank holiday weekend almost 2,000 calls were received at Lewes and more than ten per cent were classified as neither life-threatening nor requiring an immediate response.

Director of Ambulance Services Sue Harris said: "Reaching those with life-threatening illnesses and injuries quickly is the top priority for everyone in the Sussex Ambulance Service.

"We recognise calls are often made in good faith and we don't want to deter anyone from dialling 999 if their need is genuine but if our crews are dealing with inappropriate calls, inevitably our response to high-priority patients will be put at risk.

"We will always respond to emergencies but there are often more appropriate options available."

There is already pressure on the ambulance service with crews having to adapt to take patients in the north of the county farther afield to East Surrey Hospital in Redhill because there is no longer an accident and emergency department at Crawley Hospital.

This weekend also marks changes in the A&E at Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath, with critically injured patients being sent straight to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton instead.

Both changes will mean longer journeys for some patients and added pressure for ambulance crews.

This is partly why the service wants to ensure the calls it deals with are genuine emergencies.

The service has established guidelines for people to follow in a genuine medical emergency:

Stay calm
Describe your exact location
Look after the casualty by following the advice given to you by the emergency call taker.

However, if you need medical advice or treatment, you should talk to a pharmacist, visit your GP or minor injury unit or call NHS Direct on 0845 4647.