Tuesday, 7. January 2003

Topic: - on January 7, 2003 at 2:45:05 PM CET

Answering Machine Joke Triggers Terror Raid

An anti-terrorism squad raided the home of a Danish family after mistaking a light-hearted message on their answering machine for a hostage alert.

"We have been taken hostage by two children. Hurry. Help us after the beep. Now!" the Danish daily Politiken quoted the message as saying on Monday.

But police in the Copenhagen suburb of Gladsaxe and worried friends, who alerted the authorities on Saturday, thought the message said: "We have been taken hostage WITH two children."

¬> Reuters

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