Boyfriend won’t kiss you? #Not999 say police!

This time of year is one of the busiest for the force’s Call Takers, who answer the emergency 999 calls and are seeing a rise in the number of calls, especially in the evenings.

Now the police is asking people to understand when it’s #NOT999.

A genuine emergency is where life or property are in immediate danger and the public needs to call 999 - otherwise, if it’s a policing matter, call 101 instead.

Last Christmas between December 20 and January 2, Lincolnshire Police received 265 emergency 999 calls each day, despite the county being in a Tier 4 Lockdown.

Hoax calls or non-emergency calls waste time as they could stop someone with a genuine life threatening emergency getting through.

Just some of the non-emergency calls received by Lincolnshire Police’s Call Takers included asking for train times, a number for a dentist, calling to report someone had no water and that someone’s boyfriend wouldn’t kiss her.

Mike Modder-Fitch, Head of the Force Control Room, G4s, said: “We want everyone to enjoy themselves. We will be there if you need us but we’d much rather spend Christmas with nobody to speak to. There are many reasons why someone would need to call the 999 line, where someone is injured, where a crime is happening right there and then and someone or something is in immediate danger. If this is happening then call us on the 999 line.

“If we feel it’s not a genuine emergency, but still a policing matter, we will put you through to a colleague who can still help so that it will not tie up the 999 lines.

“When it’s a hoax call or simply not a policing matter we have to terminate the call to free the lines. If you’re on a night out and one of your drunk mates things it’s ok to call the 999 line, my ask is that you stop them from wasting our and their time.

“It could really make a difference to a genuine call. We can’t help with food orders, taxis or the number for dentists.”