999 plea as Gwent Police 'busier than New Year's Eve'

Inappropriate 999 calls "could be a matter of life or death for someone," says Supt Michelle Booth

Police are urging people to "think before you dial 999" after one force said its control room had been busier than it was last New Year's Eve.

Gwent Police said it had experienced "a high volume of calls" in the last week, "many of which are not emergencies".

It said it had received 414 emergency calls last Sunday - 68% more than the 246 it saw on 31 December 2019.

Inappropriate 999 calls "could be a matter of life or death for someone," said Supt Michelle Booth.

"I have no doubt the recent hot weather and the ongoing health pandemic have played a part in the increase in calls," she added.

"We understand that this is still a time of uncertainty in the community with the current health crisis, but would urge residents before they dial 999 to think 'is this a policing matter or is there another agency I should be contacting?'"

When should you dial 999?

Gwent Police said people should only call 999 in the following situations:

• Where there is danger to life or property

• To report a crime that is in progress

• When a suspect is nearby

In non-emergencies, Supt Booth said people could get in touch with police in other ways, including by calling 101 and direct messages on Facebook and Twitter.