POLICE smashed a door down after receiving an emergency call from a Huddersfield house.

Now it has been revealed a "highly unusual fault" in an underground cable triggered the 999 call from the empty house.

Cable company NTL have said they will foot the bill for the damage.

Police had the call from the home at Edgeware Road, Dalton, late at night - but no-one spoke when an operator answered it at West Yorkshire Police headquarters.

She phoned back and the line was then engaged.

Officers were sent to check out the house and arrived 10 minutes later to find the lights on, but no reply when they knocked on the door.

The police operator phoned the number back and the officers heard it ring - but then it stopped as though it had been answered.

Again no-one answered the door.

Police, fearing someone was in trouble inside, smashed the door down to get in. But no-one was at home.

Owners Craig Foster and his girlfriend Melissa Simpson had gone out for the evening at a nearby pub.

A neighbour rushed to tell them about the drama unfolding at their home and the couple returned to discover the door was wrecked and will cost £700 to repair.

It has now turned out a faulty underground cable had triggered the mysterious emergency call.

Craig, 25, said: "I understand the police had no option but to go in, but I could have been left picking up the bill and it wouldn't have been my fault."

Craig's mother Mrs Susan Foster, of Salendine Nook, said: "We thought it was well worth highlighting this in case it happens to someone else."

An NTL spokeswoman said the fault was traced to a cable outside Craig's home.

Moisture had got into the cable and the result was the line ringing the international emergency number 112 which automatically becomes a 999 call - hence the silent call to the police.

She said: "It was a highly unusual fault.

"We acted as soon as we knew about the problem and we recognise the phone call was the reason the door ended up damaged so we will pay for it to be repaired."

Craig said: "I'm pleased with the outcome and it's a case of all's well that ends well."