POLICE call handlers in Essex are dealing with “worrying” numbers of inappropriate 999 calls as data reveals only one force in the country is meeting call answer time targets.

Only one police force in the UK is meeting a target to answer 90 per cent of 999 calls in under ten seconds, new data has shown.

Avon and Somerset Police was the only force to meet the standard, according to national statistics released for the first time by the Home Office.

More than 40 forces failed to meet the target over the six months from November 2021 to April 2022.

Essex Police say its force control room received more than 137,000 emergency calls across that period.

Of those 999 calls, 79 per cent were answered in under ten seconds.

The data represents the time taken between dialling 999 to when the call is answered by the police, including the transfer time through the operator, BT.

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Essex Police say inappropriate 999 calls, including reports of traffic issues and lost wallets, can prevent real emergencies getting through to call handlers.

The force says it conducts daily reviews of the length of time taken for calls to be answered, providing training to all call handlers, dispatchers and supervisors.

Chief Superintendent Stuart Hooper, who leads the force’s control room, said: “Quite simply, calling 999 can be a life-saver and the quicker these calls reach us, the quicker we can provide that individual with the help or advice they need."

He added: “Although we will never disconnect a call without offering advice or signposting to a more appropriate agency, we ask that you please consider whether your call is a true emergency.

“Over the past year alone, we’ve received calls from people stuck in traffic, people who have lost a wallet and someone with an animal stuck in their loft.

“While these situations can be distressing, they’re not an emergency.

“We’ll also answer a lot of calls that have been abandoned. If a caller specifically asks for police assistance but then hangs up, we will carry out numerous checks and attempts to return the call to make sure they’re okay."

For non-emergency reports, people can call 101 or visit essex.police.uk.