'Stay on the line, let us know you're okay': Police appeal to pocket-diallers and accidental callers

The force's operations and communications centre received almost 20,000 999 calls last month. Of these, 4,791 were abandoned, which is around 155 999 calls every day.

Police say this figure is an increase of 100 per cent in the force's abandoned 999 calls compared to May 2022.

Each time this happens, call handlers spend time investigating if that person is safe. While some of these calls are genuine emergencies, many are 'pocket-dials' or cases of children playing with their parent’s phone.

Now, West Mercia Police has urged people to stay on the line and let police know they're okay, which will allow handlers to establish real emergencies quickly.

Public contact Chief Inspector Carrie Solomon said: “With every abandoned call, we need to check on the caller’s welfare, which means in some cases, we’ll dispatch an officer to find them.

“Our call handlers will try to phone the person back, but if they can’t get through, they’ll contact their network supplier to pinpoint where they are.

“We can’t assume that the person is okay – and every second counts in an emergency.”

Police say this is not just an issue in West Mercia, but one that is happening nationwide.

Improvements to phone and smart watch software, which make it easier for people to let police know if they do need assistance, also increase the possibility of a pocket-dial.

Chief Inspector Solomon added: “Phone users usually hang up quickly out of panic and embarrassment – but please stay on the line and let us know you’re okay.

“We understand that accidental calls like this happen to everyone at some point. The key thing is letting us know you’re safe – you’re not in any trouble.

“So to help us out, stay on the line and have a quick conversation with our call handler and let them know what has happened, then we can close the call.

"We’d much rather spend a couple of minutes on the phone to you than an hour tracking you down."

West Mercia Police received more than 50,000 calls for service each day via 999, the non-emergency 101 number and their digital channels.

Every contact to police goes through a threat, risk and harm assessment which leads to that contact being prioritised accordingly.

For more information on how to make the right call, visit westmercia.police.uk/advice.