Danish answerphone joke sparks police raid

Copenhagen is one of the safest capitals in the world

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're doing fine. Please don't call the police

Beckers' new message

"We have been taken hostage by two children. Hurry. Help us after the beep. Now!" the message recorded by Lene Becker said, according to Denmark's Politiken newspaper.

But when relatives heard the recording, it sounded like: "We have been taken hostage WITH two children".

They alerted police in Gladaxe, a suburb of Copenhagen.

Police officers listened to the message several times and decided to err on the side of caution, Politiken says.

False alarm

Two police cars were despatched to the two-storey house, and neighbours watched as policemen cordoned off the area.

Finally, a neighbour living on the ground floor came out and let the officers into the Beckers' apartment on the second floor, where they realised it was a false alarm

The Beckers have since changed the message on their answering machine.

It now says: "We're doing fine. Please don't call the police."