A police computer in Fort Worth, Texas, recently switched itself on in the middle of the night and made telephone calls that woke hundreds of groggy sleepers. The computer telephone system at the Fort Worth police department was programmed to activate itself during the day and invite residents to a police community forum. But for unexplained reasons it started placing calls at 3 a.m. on a Sunday, and dialled 1,300 numbers in two hours, including at least 400 homes where people answered.

One resident told the Fort Worth Star Telegram that he and his wife were alarmed when their phone rang deep in the night and the automated caller identified itself as "reverse 9-1-1." "You don't get good phone calls at 4.45 a.m.," Mr Michael Butler told the newspaper.