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Foreign Office reveals weird requests to consulates | Foreign Office reveals weird requests to consulates |
(about 4 hours later) | |
The British consulate offers welcome assistance to travellers who are in trouble abroad, but the Foreign Office is warning there are some things it just cannot help with. | The British consulate offers welcome assistance to travellers who are in trouble abroad, but the Foreign Office is warning there are some things it just cannot help with. |
In the last six months staff have been asked for a telephone number for Phil Collins and Prince Charles's shoe size. | |
Another request was from a man stranded at the airport by his dominatrix. | Another request was from a man stranded at the airport by his dominatrix. |
The Foreign Office says it is important people understand their priority is to help those in real difficulty. | The Foreign Office says it is important people understand their priority is to help those in real difficulty. |
Other bizarre appeals for help made to its network of embassies, high commissions and consulates around the world, include one from a man who rang the consulate in Sydney to ask what clothes he should pack for his holiday. | Other bizarre appeals for help made to its network of embassies, high commissions and consulates around the world, include one from a man who rang the consulate in Sydney to ask what clothes he should pack for his holiday. |
In another a Briton in Sofia, Bulgaria, wanted the consulate to sell his house for him. | In another a Briton in Sofia, Bulgaria, wanted the consulate to sell his house for him. |
The caller - to Foreign Office staff in Spain - who wanted Prince Charles' shoe size, wanted the information so he could send him shoes as a present. | The caller - to Foreign Office staff in Spain - who wanted Prince Charles' shoe size, wanted the information so he could send him shoes as a present. |
Other odd requests made to consular staff include: | |
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Consular Affairs Minister Jeremy Browne said: "We will always try to help where we can but there are limits to the support that we can provide. | Consular Affairs Minister Jeremy Browne said: "We will always try to help where we can but there are limits to the support that we can provide. |
"It is important that people understand the level of help we can offer. | "It is important that people understand the level of help we can offer. |
"Our priority is to help people in real difficulty abroad and we cannot do this if our time is diverted by people trying to use us as a concierge service. | "Our priority is to help people in real difficulty abroad and we cannot do this if our time is diverted by people trying to use us as a concierge service. |
"We need to be able to focus primarily on helping victims of serious crimes, supporting people who have been detained or assisting people who have lost a loved one abroad." | "We need to be able to focus primarily on helping victims of serious crimes, supporting people who have been detained or assisting people who have lost a loved one abroad." |
Staff from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) handle around two million consular inquiries a year. | Staff from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) handle around two million consular inquiries a year. |
In 2010 they dealt with more than 19,000 cases where British citizens needed help - including arrests, deaths, hospitalisations, supporting victims of forced marriage and assisting in incidents where children had been abducted by a parent. | In 2010 they dealt with more than 19,000 cases where British citizens needed help - including arrests, deaths, hospitalisations, supporting victims of forced marriage and assisting in incidents where children had been abducted by a parent. |
Earlier this year the Foreign Office set up a call centre in Malaga to help filter out the large number of non-consular inquiries received by British embassies and consulates in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Andorra. | Earlier this year the Foreign Office set up a call centre in Malaga to help filter out the large number of non-consular inquiries received by British embassies and consulates in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Andorra. |
Maria Leng, a consular official in Tenerife, said: "A lot of our time was being taken up with queries that we could not assist with, but now the Malaga call centre is making a big difference." | Maria Leng, a consular official in Tenerife, said: "A lot of our time was being taken up with queries that we could not assist with, but now the Malaga call centre is making a big difference." |
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