Last month, an 11-year-old German boy phoned police to complain about “forced labour” after his mother asked him to do household chores.

The boy, from Aachen in west Germany, whined that his mother made him work all day, telling police, “I haven’t had any free time to play!” The boy had been threatening to report his amused mother throughout the school holidays before she finally allowed him to contact the authorities.

His mother, who was standing next to her son when he made the call, explained to the baffled policeman that in fact she let him play all day long, only asking him to tidy up when he was finished.

Picture credits: Rex Features

Child calls police to avoid household chores