Armed police had to break into a prisoner's home to rescue his pet gerbil after he refused to let the RSPCAprevent it from harm. The lag had been in jail one week but was refusing to give the charity access to his property to save the pet. So RSPCA told police who sent its armed response unit to force entry on Saturday evening. Officers found the gerbil "very hungry" and rushed the creature to a vet in Derby. A post on the Derbyshire Police's city centre safer neighbourhood police page said: "Tonight our officers have been on the sharp edge of policing as always. Our friends at the RSPCA informed us that an individual who was currently in prison and had been for nearly a week now had a gerbil at his home address."Sadly the individual was refusing to give access to their address so that the RSPCA Officers could prevent the gerbil from dying or suffering unnecessarily.
Our officers forced entry to the address with some help from the armed response unit and found the gerbil who was thankfully still alive but very hungry. The gerbil was taken to a nearby vet where it will be looked after by the RSPCA."We're not just about arresting bad guys and posing for photos on Facebook. Sometimes we're a bit soft and caring."The RSPCA thanked the police on Twitter - but faced some criticism."Is it April 1st already," wrote one user. But a spokesman for Derbyshire police said: "The following information from the RSPCA, officers from Derby city safer neighbourhood team visited a property on Abbey Hill Road, Allestree, to prevent unnecessary suffering to an animal inside. Derbyshire police’s Armed Response Unit also attended to assist officers in gaining quick access to the property."The animal, a gerbil, was taken to a nearby vet at the instruction of the RSPCA."Responses to calls from partner agencies, such as the RSPCA, are one of the many elements of community policing."Attendance at this incident had no impact on operational policing, due to Armed Response Vehicles being deployed across the county. Armed officers are routinely called on to provide support in gaining access to properties where there is a cause for concern. Had there been a need for them to be deployed elsewhere, officers would have been able to be mobilised quickly."In addition, on entering the property, officers found that the gas fire had been left on. This was switched off and the property able to be made safe."