Lancashire Police warning as children's nine accidental 999 calls leave genuine emergencies waiting in queue
“Where’s your phone? In your hand? Down the side of your sofa? With your toddler or child?”
Four genuine emergency calls were left waiting to be answered after children made repeated accidental 999 calls from the same phone, Lancashire Police has warned.
The force said it received a series of 999 calls over the weekend which appeared to have been made by “little fingers”, including one instance where the same number called the emergency line nine times. Lancashire Police said the repeated calls meant that four genuine emergencies were waiting in a queue to be answered.
In a statement on social media, Lancashire Police said: “Where’s your phone? In your hand? Down the side of your sofa? With your toddler or child?”
It warned that while young children can easily get hold of a mobile phone, parents and carers should make sure they cannot inadvertently dial the emergency number, highlighting the potential consequences of emergency lines being occupied by accidental calls.
In the incident over the weekend, the same number made a total of nine calls, while four genuine emergency calls were waiting in the queue. Lancashire Police said: “999 can be the difference between life and death, so it’s important to make sure that these lines are kept free for those who really need them.”
Police said 999 should be used when there is an immediate danger to life, when someone is using violence or threatening to be violent, or following a road traffic collision where life is at risk or the road is blocked.
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When to call 999
People should also call 999 if a crime is happening at that moment, such as a house burglary or theft.
Lancashire Police also reminded people that accidentally dialling 999 does not mean they should simply hang up. If a 999 call is made by mistake, callers should stay on the line and tell the operator that they are safe and that no crime has occurred.
The warning comes as the force urged parents and carers to be mindful of where their phones are, particularly when young children are able to reach them, to help keep emergency lines available for people who genuinely need immediate assistance.