A Tesco customer has left people baffled after calling 999 when he realised he had accidentally bought non-alcoholic gin and tonic instead of the alcoholic version he had intended to purchase.

The unusual incident happened after the man bought a pack of miniature Gordon’s gin and tonic cans from a Tesco store in Hertfordshire. He had reportedly planned to take the drinks to a nearby park, where he intended to sit in the shade and enjoy them in the warm weather.

However, after arriving at the park and opening one of the cans, he realised that the drink contained no alcohol.

Rather than simply accepting the mistake, the shopper decided to contact the police, with Hertfordshire Police later releasing an audio recording of the conversation between the man and the 999 call handler. During the call, the customer explained that he had seen the miniature Gordon’s drinks in the alcohol section of the supermarket and assumed they were alcoholic.

“I’ve just gone in there and they’ve got these miniature Gordon’s gin with tonic, it’s in the alcohol section,” he told the call handler.

He explained that he had taken the drinks to the park before noticing what had happened, saying the packaging had caused him to believe he had bought the alcoholic product.

“I’m going over to the park, because it’s nice and cool, and I’m sitting in shade and I look at it, it’s zero alcohol. And it’s in the alcohol section, so they all look the same.”

The customer had already opened and consumed one of the drinks by the time he realised his mistake. He then returned to Tesco and attempted to resolve the situation with staff.

According to the man, a member of Tesco staff told him that he had already consumed one of the cans. He said he accepted that he would pay for the one he had drunk, but wanted to exchange the remaining cans for an alcoholic alternative.

“I just brought it back and [the Tesco staff member] says ‘you’ve already drank one’, I said okay, I’ll pay for that one, can I exchange the other ones? It cost me £6 because I haven’t got a Tesco card.”

The situation became more unusual when the shopper explained his frustration to the 999 call handler, who told him that what had happened was not a police matter. Rather than accepting the advice, the man said he was so angry about the situation that he could end up getting himself arrested.

“I’m really angry, so I’ll get arrested… because I’m not having it.”

He then reiterated what had caused his frustration, saying:

“I’ve just paid them six quid for non-alcoholic gin and tonic.”

The call handler attempted to steer the conversation towards a more appropriate way of dealing with the disagreement, advising him to speak calmly to Tesco management.

The customer, however, then suggested that he might simply take an alcoholic drink without paying for it, prompting the call handler to tell him not to shoplift. The incident has since attracted attention after Hertfordshire Police shared the recording as part of a wider warning about inappropriate use of the 999 service.

Although the circumstances of the call have been widely viewed as humorous, the force stressed that emergency call handlers have an important role to play and that time spent dealing with non-emergency matters could prevent them from responding to somebody facing a genuine crisis.

Hertfordshire Police said the force has received other inappropriate 999 calls, including people asking about taxi services, wanting to know the time and even reporting problems with a microwave timer.

The warning comes as the force says it has been particularly busy during the prolonged period of hot weather and heatwaves. The constabulary said its Force Communications Room in Welwyn Garden City receives hundreds of calls to both 999 and the non-emergency 101 number every day, with around a third of those calls reportedly needing to be directed to other organisations instead.

While the situation itself has prompted plenty of jokes online, many people also pointed out that accidentally buying an alcohol-free drink is not exactly an unheard-of mistake. One person reflected on their own shopping mishaps, writing:

“Now I have gone shopping and not read the item correctly and gotten home and been upset with myself. But life moves on don't make that mistake again. But to call the police? LOOOL! What a waste of time. Enjoy the drink my friend!”

Others took a more tongue-in-cheek approach to the bizarre 999 call.

“Fair play, totally reasonable.”

Another commented:

“The respondent should have hung up the phone sooner!”

Alcohol-free versions of familiar drinks have become increasingly common in supermarkets, with products often designed to closely resemble their alcoholic counterparts. Gordon’s produces alcohol-free gin and tonic products alongside its traditional alcoholic range, meaning shoppers can encounter similar looking packaging while browsing drink aisles.

For the customer involved, however, the distinction came too late, leaving him disappointed when he discovered that his planned trip to the park would not involve the drink he had expected.

Despite his frustration, the police made clear that a disappointing supermarket purchase does not constitute an emergency. The force’s message was that 999 should remain reserved for situations requiring an immediate emergency response, while disputes or complaints involving businesses should be handled through the appropriate channels.

What began as an attempt to enjoy a drink in the park therefore ended with a 999 call, a police warning and thousands of people debating whether accidentally buying alcohol-free gin could ever be considered an emergency.