Police officers from the Epsom and Ewell beat have said they responded to an unusual crisis recently.

A local resident reported an elderly neighbour shouting for help from inside their home on March 30.

Luckily, there was a registered key safe on the wall which allowed officers to get inside without resorting to smashing a window or knocking down the door.

The officers found the frail occupant in their bed, unable to walk. The cries for help were due to the TV remote being too far away to reach.

Officers checked they were ok, then changed the TV channel and called the care company.

The person has regular carers and the next was due 30 minutes later.

Police said: “It might have seemed like a strange thing to be shouting about, but in these sort of situations, for us, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”