Move to ease pressure dispatchers as police called to overflowing bins, reopen a bank account and for a ride home

Police have released details of some of the more bizarre 999 calls received as part of the campaign to ease the increasing pressure on call handlers.

Recent examples of 999 misuse include a man calling because he had been stung by a wasp, a man asking for a lift home after a night out, a woman reporting her bins hadn’t been emptied, and a man wanting to re-open his bank account.

One call handler also described how she had recently taken calls from a woman asking whether it was a bank holiday, a man asking for the time, multiple people asking for a taxi, and people singing down the line.

The force has released audio clips of real calls from people misusing the 999 line as part of the #NotFor999 campaign.

Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s Demand Hub received 11,435 calls to 999 in February 2023, a 5.1% increase on February 2022.

The public are urged to only calling 999 in genuine emergencies so call handlers’ time can be reserved for those who need it most.

Call handler Chelsea Calver said: “We work in a very busy, demanding environment where difficult decisions are made very quickly during every single call. There is added pressure when the call is not appropriate for police attention.

"Before you call 999, think whether another agency might be better suited to support.

“The general rule is to only dial 999 if a serious offence is in progress or has just been committed, someone is in immediate danger, property is at risk of being damaged, or a serious disruption to the public is likely.

“Using other services such as web chat and online reports on the force website, when it is not an emergency, will help free up phone lines for vital 999 calls.

Detective Superintendent Mike Branston added: “Many people have the misconception that hoax calls are just people calling us playing pranks or messing around, but in reality, they are often people misusing or abusing the 999 line.

"Calling the emergency line for inappropriate reasons delays genuine emergencies- which is just as pressing on our resources as prank hoax calls, and both can result in fines and even prison time.

“Our Demand Hub staff work incredibly hard answering the phones and trying to assist those in genuine need, and their hard work is all too often disturbed by hoax callers.”