Wiltshire Police have reminded callers that 999 should only be used for emergencies and situations that require an urgent response.

The reminder comes as the force launches its ‘Who You Gonna Call’ campaign to raise awareness of when to call 999 and when to call 101.

Dial 999 if you need an immediate response because a crime is in progress or you think it is, someone or is injured or there is a threat to life, a serious road traffic collision has taken place, or violence is being used or threatened.

Call 101 if it’s a non-emergency.

For example, if you want to report a crime that does not require an immediate emergency response, where someone isn’t in immediate danger, or you’d like to speak to your local police officer, or you want to provide information about a crime.

Wiltshire Police’s Crime and Communication Centre receives an increase in calls to 101 and 999 during the summer months, mostly for emergencies, but some calls should be directed to other agencies or are entirely inappropriate and just add unnecessary strain to the police’s workload.

John Flynn, Head of Contact Management, said: “This is the second time we have run this campaign and I hope by highlighting some of the inappropriate calls we have received that the public may reconsider picking up the phone to call us for an issue which could be better dealt with by our partner agencies or via our new and updated website.

“Of course we are always here for anyone who may unfortunately find themselves in an emergency, and we would not want to deter these people from contacting us.

“We cannot stress enough how important it is to think before you dial 999.

“An inappropriate 999 call could mean somebody with a genuine emergency is kept waiting and lives could be lost.”

The campaign will run predominantly on social media channels with the hashtag #WhoYouGonnaCall.

A live Tweetathon on @wiltshirepolice will be held on Friday May 25 from the Crime and Communication Centre.

Assistant Chief Constable Gavin Williams added: “There are many hidden demands on modern day policing and with the summer being a particularly busy time for all emergency services, it’s a great time to start the conversation with the public about the challenges we face.

“One of the busiest areas of the force during this time is our Crime and Communication Centre and I am very aware of the difficult, distressing calls they receive on a daily basis from people in need.

“However, I am also aware of the many inappropriate calls they deal with which can really tie up resources unnecessarily.

“I’d like to reassure our communities that we are committed to fighting crime and protecting the public but we need their help and the assistance of our partners to help tackle the ever-growing demand on our force.”