Only 46pc of calls are genuine emergencies

Only 46 per cent of the 1.05 million calls made to the police emergency hotline centre in the first half of the year were from people in genuine need of help, police said. The rest were nuisance calls or incorrectly dialled. Police appealed to people to use the 999 service only for emergencies. People who wish to report a crime or make requests on non-emergency matters should contact police stations in their area.