Pocket-dialled 999 in Wiltshire? Don’t hang up!
Police urging people to stay on the line if they call the emergency services by mistake
New figures from Wiltshire Police show that just over 1 in 4 calls made to them this year were silent or abandoned - 15,045 calls in total.
So the force are now issuing the advice to ‘stay on the line, and tell us you’re fine’ if you accidentally dial 999.
They hope that urging people to let the operator know you’re okay can help 999 call handlers spend more time dealing with genuine emergencies.
Wiltshire Police acknowledge in their advice that with the touch screen of a modern smartphone it’s all too easy to call the police in error and leave the operator hearing no words.
But some silent calls may also be genuine cries for help - and the police want to assist those calling in these instances as best as they can.
So if you do realise that a pocket dial has reached the police, then letting the call handler know it was accidental really helps.
The force have also reminded people that if you call 999, but are afraid or unable to speak openly, and find yourself in a genuine emergency then even a whisper to an operator to let them know the call is genuine helps.
This can help them filter out hoaxes or pocket-dials.
Those who stay silent on a call may be asked to cough or tap keys to answer questions and will be prompted to press 55 to be transferred to local police, otherwise a call will be ended.