Police appeal for revellers not to misuse 999

By Michael Upton
Published 31st Dec 2013, 10:35 BST
Updated 5th Jan 2017, 10:43 BST
POLICE preparing for their busiest night of the year tonight have urged the public not to misuse 999 with non-emergencies.

South Yorkshire Police dealt with 1,710 calls last New Year’s Eve, compared to an average of between 1,100 and 1,200.

And seven in ten calls to 999 during this Christmas period were not true emergencies.

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Operations manager Tracy Potter said: “Many hoax callers are in drink, especially at this time of year, and think it’s acceptable to try and use police officers as a taxi service.

“Others, who are friendlier but just as serious in terms of time-wasting, want to wish call handlers Happy New Year.

“I cannot stress enough the importance of only ringing 999 in a genuine emergency. Hoax callers should be aware that they can face a £90 fixed penalty for wasting police time.”