Devon and Cornwall Police ask mistake 999 callers to speak

Police in Devon and Cornwall are urging people not to hang up if they dial 999 by mistake.

The force said it had seen a recent "significant rise" in silent calls.

Officers said people should stay on the line and let the operator know the call was made in error as every silent emergency call was followed up and "never just ignored".

The rise in such calls was thought to be partly due to an Android smartphone update, they added.

Police said demand for the 999 service had risen over the last four weeks and, as part of that, there had been a 25% increase in silent calls.

The force said it received 169 silent 999 calls between 00:00-19:00 BST on Sunday alone.

Each 999 call made in error was estimated to take about 20 minutes to resolve, it added.

Supt Matt Bourne said: "If possible, stay on the line and let the operator know it was an accident and that you don't need any assistance.

"Silent calls to 999 are never just ignored. Contact officers will need to spend valuable time trying to call you back to check whether you need help."

A new SOS function for Android phones, issued between October 2022 and February 2023, was added to raise an alarm through the power button.

Police said people should check the settings on their phone if they wanted to stop it.

If a crime was in progress, or if there is was an immediate risk to person or property, people should "always dial 999", police said.

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