Listen as man calls 999 over pigeon in his kitchen - Lancashire Police urge 999 only to be used in emergency

“I’ve got a pigeon in my kitchen. A pigeon has flown into my kitchen.”

This was not a conversation over the garden fence with the next-door neighbour about an unwanted feathered visitor; it was the opening line of a 999 emergency call made to Lancashire Police.

The Lancashire Force Control Room takes thousands of emergency and non-emergency calls every week from across the county.

Its aim is to provide the best possible service to those in need of emergency help. But officers say they can’t do that if people are calling them with non-policing related issues or clogging up emergency lines with non-urgent calls.

Lancashire Police have seen an increased in 999 calls this year already.

Kelly Hughes, our Force Contact Manager, said: “When an emergency call comes in, we want to get officers to the scene as soon as possible.

“If non-emergencies are coming in via 999, it can impact on the service we provide.

“Non-emergencies should be reported by contacting 101 – either by phone or online. When calling 101, you can use our call-back assistance system."

In June alone the Force Control Room had an additional 3,000 999 calls over and above what was expected.

On average they receive 860 emergency calls a day and 1,900 calls to 101. Over the summer the number of 999 calls has risen to more than 1,000.

However, not all the calls that are made to 999 are appropriate – some are not made in an emergency.

A Lancashire Police spokesman said: “We want people to ring 999 in an emergency and get officers and assistance to them as quickly as possible.

“That can be hindered if non-emergency calls are tying up our dedicated Force Control Room team.

“The right time to make a 999 call to police is in an emergency.”

An emergency is:

· Someone’s life is in immediate danger.

· A crime is happening there and then.

· A suspect is at the scene of a crime or has only just left.

· There is a serious threat of violence.

· A person is seriously injured or vulnerable and needs urgent help from police officers.

· Immediate action is needed to prevent harm, serious damage or loss.

Chief Inspector Adam Delmage of Lancashire Police, said: “Our Force Control Room staff work incredibly hard to meet the high demand of calls.

“They are people’s first point of contact with us, and we want to get them the help and assistance needed as quickly as possible.

“We ask that the public only call 999 in a genuine emergency – when a crime is in progress or when there is a threat to life or a serious threat of violence.”

Non-emergencies can be reported to police via 101, either over the phone or online.

What is a non-emergency:

· Reporting a crime which had already happened.

· You need to provide information about crime or anti-social behaviour.

· You want police advice or guidance.

· You have concerns about ongoing issues affecting your community.

· You need to speak to your local policing team.

· There will be other issues or problems which people have, which are not police matters and should be reported to other agencies who will be able to assist faster and appropriately.

· These would include medical emergencies, consumer, banking and civil disputes, environmental issues and utility failures.

Lancashire's Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw said: "Lancashire Constabulary has delivered sustained improvements in both 999 and 101 performances with faster answering times and lower abandonment rates. Maintaining this progress is vital to ensuring public confidence and trust in policing.

"However, we all have a role to play in helping the police provide the best possible service.

"Through initiatives such as Online Reporting, Callback Assist and Lancashire Talking, alongside continued investment in our estate and contact centre infrastructure, we are making it easier for people to engage with policing in the way that best suits them. These improvements help ensure officers and staff are available to respond when people need them most."