UK police saved the life of woman 3,000 miles away after she sent a "help, he is in the house" message
Staff at a control room picked up a Live Chat message from a distraught woman.
She reported that an intruder was attempting to break into her home in Durham, Canada, on Wednesday.
But ChronicleLive reports the terrified woman had accidentally contacted the force in the UK
She typed: “I need help, he is going to come, he is in the house” before ending the plea for help.
A call handler kept the chat open, while her colleagues contacted officers at Durham Regional Police Service in Ontario, Canada.
Officers in the province were sent to the scene in the town of Ajax and found a 35-year-old man inside the house.
The suspect fled but was eventually cornered in a nearby yard where he refused to obey officers’ requests and during the altercation was tasered.
He was then arrested, approximately 30 minutes after his victim first contacted police on the other side of the Atlantic.
The rescued victim received medical attention for her injuries, while her attacker has now been charged.
They include charges for offences including breaking and entering, assault, forcible confinement and disobeying a lawful order of court.
Inspector Andrea Arthur, head of the force control room, said: “This was an unusual incident and a very distressing situation for the victim, but the team remained calm and managed to help our Canadian colleagues resolve the situation quickly and professionally.
"Durham Constabulary in the UK were delighted they were able to assist the frightened woman.
"The arrest of the intruder some 3000 miles away, showed the kind of diverse situations police call handlers find themselves in.
"And in many cases they have a huge into identifying a culprit after details are passed on to officers on the ground.
“If we can assist in rescuing a vulnerable victim in immediate danger, regardless of where they live, we will do all we can to help.
"In this case, we’re glad to learn there has been an arrest and, more importantly, the victim is out of danger and receiving the help she needs.
“Our call handlers deal with hundreds of contacts from members of the public each day, some of them more straightforward than others, and always do their best to serve the public, wherever they may be.”
