Lincolnshire Police make #gettingintouch easier as demand for services soars

More than 123,000 calls are made to the 999 line and 171,000 calls to the 101 number each year.

However, at busy times like the summer holidays, once the switchboard has triaged an initial call, there is often a longer delay in answering it.

In addition, that will delay others getting through, and they will be left sitting in a queue.

To combat this, a campaign is being launched to encourage the public to report incidents online, rather than call 101, in a non-emergency situation.

Whether people call or go on-line, calls and reports will be received and dealt with by staff in the Force Control Room.

The team will assess and prioritise the most appropriate response and resources will be allocated based on the threat, risk and harm involved.

A spokesperson said: “We’re asking for the help of the public. Reporting online is convenient, without queues or long wait times on the phone.

“As long as no-one is in immediate danger, non-urgent incidents can be reported to us via our website.

"The reporting online service will take you through a few steps and will make sure reporting online is the right thing to do.”

Crime, fraud, civil disputes, collisions, lost or stolen vehicles, wildlife crime, domestic abuse, anti-social behaviour and missing people are some examples which can be reported online.

More information can be found by visiting Report/Lincolnshire Police on the Force website at lincs.police.uk.