Emergency call glitch may still be causing delays

A fault with the 999 call system may still be causing delays, the Scottish government has said.

Earlier a UK-wide technical issue meant calls were not being connected.

Ministers said a back-up system was now operational and members of the public with genuine emergencies should continue to call 999.

But anyone with difficulties connecting on 999 or 112, should contact 101 for police and fire and rescue services or 111 for health emergencies.

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BT confirmed the problems, which were first reported at about 08:30 BST on Sunday, were caused by a technical fault.

The telecoms company said a back-up system was being used while it worked to restore the primary 999 lines.

It has already ruled out a third-party issue, the hot weather and an Android handset 999 problem from earlier this week.

But it said it would not be able to share technical information on the system nor how the back-up works because the 999 call service is part of the critical national infrastructure.

Justice Secretary Angela Constance said an investigation was under way in bid to resolve the situation

Scotland's Justice Secretary Angela Constance said resilience arrangements to ensure public safety following the technical issue had been activated.

She added: "We are aware of a technical issue with the 999 call system which may be causing some delays. An investigation is under way to resolve the situation as soon as possible."BT's back-up system for 999 and 112 is fully operational and members of the public with genuine emergencies should continue to call 999 or 112 in the normal way."Further updates will be provided as the situation evolves."