Metropolitan police identify more than 22,000 hoax calls in 2019 and warn of risk to lives

A mistake with a chip-shop order and an out-of-date packet of biscuits were among more than 22,000 time-wasting calls to the UK’s largest police force this year.

Call handlers identified 22,491 hoax 999 calls to the Metropolitan police in the first 11 months of 2019, the force said. There were also 2,912 hoax calls to the non-emergency 101 police number.

Overall, the Met received 2,157,080 calls to 999 between 1 January and 30 November this year. Over the same period in 2018, call handlers took more than 2 million 999 calls, but 21,733 of these were unnecessary, the Met said.

The Met has released audio of some 999 calls where the incident reported was not an emergency. “Not only did these calls waste police time and resources, they also potentially put Londoners at risk in what could be a life-or-death situation,” the force said in a statement.

Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) Over 2 million calls were made to 999 in 2019.



Calling 999 to report out of date biscuits, an extra saveloy and chips or to ask the time is not an emergency and wastes police time, potentially putting other lives in danger.

#ThinkBeforeYouDial ☎️



👉 https://t.co/MR1YQ6WBGi pic.twitter.com/im21eiLrWo

The calls included a woman complaining after being sent three saveloy and chips from the chip shop instead of one; a man asking for the time; and someone complaining about a packet of biscuits being out of date.

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Ch Supt David Jackson, who is in charge of call handling for the Met, said: “Although these calls can be perceived as amusing, they are actually a huge waste of the Met’s resources.

“These hoax calls block the number from other members of the public who could be calling 999 in a real emergency, keeping people in danger waiting for longer and putting lives at risk.

“If you are in a situation where you need to speak to the police, please think. The use of the 999 system is for emergencies only and we have other channels where you can speak with us.”