German man has crush on hotline operator

A man in Germany who said he had "fallen in love" with the voice of an emergency services operator was taken into custody for repeatedly calling the hotline, authorities said.

The 45-year-old called the 110 emergency number from several telephone booths in the western city of Duesseldorf until he was picked up by police.

He explained to the officers that there had not been an emergency but that he had found the voice on the other end of the line "so sexy". The man, who had apparently been drinking, was held in jail overnight.