Police Scotland reveal ‘nonsense’ 999 calls

A CALLER wanting noisy seagulls slapped with a breach of the peace order, and a member of the public who wanted assistance removing a fox from their garden because they were ‘feart’ of dogs were just two examples used by Police Scotland today to educate those misusing the 999 service.

Police Scotland have reminded the public to use the 101 number for non-emergency calls. Picture: TSPL

However, the force - celebrating its first anniversary - stressed that the exercise was also designed to raise awareness and demonstrate the success of the new 101 number.

Official figures showed that there had been close to 520,000 emergency calls on the 999 number over the past year, and over 1.8 million 101 calls.

At the end of the first week of Police Scotland, over 15 per cent of calls from members of the public came through on the non-emergency 101 number, rising to over 90 per cent according to recent figures.

Police Scotland have reminded the public to use the 101 number for non-emergency calls. Picture: TSPL

However, Police Scotland have stressed the seriousness of time-wasting calls made to the 999 number, reiterating that every 999 call is treated with the same level of seriousness

On their social media accounts, Police Scotland posted a series of recordings based on actual 999 phone calls - including a woman worried about a fox in her garden and a man complaining about boisterous seagulls, and reminded the public to always dial 101 for non-emergency calls.

A selection of Police Scotland’s stranger 999 calls

@policescotland “999 caller asked where she could get one of our police officer tops for her daughter’s non-police job

@policescotland “We received a call from a concerned mother. Her son was stopped & had his cannabis taken from him…she was requesting it back!”

@policescotland “Person called 999 to complain the £5 of fuel they’d put in car hadn’t moved fuel gauge from zero - then said it was fraud!”

@policescotland “999 caller complained about seagulls misbehaving. Wanted them charged with breach of the peace! < We’ll organise a lineup.”

@policescotland “Caller dialled 999 to report fox in their garden. Advised not a police matter & they replied “but ahm feert of DUGS!” < Eh?!”