Nottinghamshire Police issue 999 time wasting warning after Newark man rings control room 68 times in 90 minutes

Police are urging the public to only ring 999 in an emergency after one man rang the control room 68 times over a 90-minute period.

The Newark resident consistently contacted the Nottinghamshire Police control room in September, even hanging up on officers when they tried to find out what was wrong.

Officers visited the address only to find the male drunk in bed and requiring no assistance.

The man told emergency services that “he didn’t know where he was” before asking officers for more beer. He later said he did not need the police.

Chief Inspector Christopher Sullivan said: “These calls take away valuable time from our officers who need to attend real-life emergencies or crimes that affect our residents, some of which will be life-threatening or life-altering.

“The 999 number is not there to be called for trivial matters.

“Calling the 999 number 68 times over a 90-minute period when drunk is unacceptable.

"Officers attended the address and found the man in bed. This is a complete waste of our resources.

“We are now approaching one of our busiest times of the year — Christmas — and there is a lot of pressure on our service.

"We are reminding people that they should always call 999 if a crime is in progress or an immediate risk to life and safety."

Other examples include an intoxicated Mansfield resident ringing 999 to help him out of his own shed and police were also called by a disgruntled motorist after a Nottingham city centre garage failed to accept his fuel voucher.

Non-emergency incidents can be reported to the police online or by calling 101.