Police today urged people to be sensible about 999 calls after the chairman of Essex Police Authority launched a stunning attack on the service.
At a meeting of Thurrock Council, Robert Chambers criticised the centralised call centre and encouraged people to ring 999 if they needed a police officer.
He also gave out his own personal numbers and invited people to call him if they could not get through to the police.
But in response, an Essex Police spokesman said: "The question of call handling is a project which is currently being undertaken at Essex Police.
"We do not encourage people to ring 999 for non-emergency calls and people should bear in mind that they risk blocking up the system for more urgent calls."
Published Thursday July 29, 2004
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article