British police helped to save a Canadian woman who was in danger from an intruder after she contacted the wrong police force online.
Due to the quick actions of the British police, the woman was alive and well when she was found, while the intruder was arrested for his offences.
The woman, who lived in Durham, Canada, tried to get in touch with the police when she discovered an intruder in her home.
Unfortunately, in the midst of her distress, she contacted the wrong police force.
Instead of sending a live chat message to the police in her home town, she sent a message to the Durham Constabulary here in the UK using its online live chat.
She wrote: "I need help, he is going to come. He is in the house."
The person behind the live chat here in the UK kept the chat open while they contacted the police for her local area in Canada.
Though the woman was able to convey her distress, she very quickly fell silent on the chat.
Officers from the Durham Regional Police Service in the province of Ontario visited her home and found a 35-year-old man inside.
The intruder fled and was later chased down, tasered during an altercation with the police and arrested.
The woman in question was treated for her injuries and was thankful for the help of the police 3,000 miles away.
The attacker has been charged with breaking and entering, assault, forcible confinement and disobeying a lawful order of court.
Inspector Andrea Arthur, head of the Durham Constabulary's 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.
"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."
Many locations in Canada and the United States have locations of the same name as places here in the UK, such as London, Ontario.
The unit leader of communications and 9-1-1 at Durham Regional Police in Ontario, Inspector Paul Hallett, said this was "a success story of international cooperation."
"We are grateful for the assistance of our Durham Constabulary colleagues in ensuring we received this critical information, making it possible for our Durham Regional Police Service communicators to provide this caller with the timely emergency police response they required," Hallett said.