Cambridgeshire Police issue hoax call warning as man calls 999 'to say he couldn't sleep'

Cambridgeshire Police said people making hoax calls could put people in danger, as it diverts resources away from genuine emergencies.

Officers have received 38 such calls this week alone – and now Cambridgeshire Police have revealed some of the calls they have received – and some are barely believable.

A spokesperson for the force said: “In the past week, we have recorded a total of 38 hoax calls, including...

“A man reporting that a drain outside his house was overflowing with rain water

“A woman reporting that she had no electricity in her home

“Some children using their mum’s phone to prank call us

“A drunk man asking us to attend a car garage that he was at, as he complained about the prices

“A child reporting that their sibling kept taking their stuff

“A man reporting that he couldn’t sleep

“As a general rule, 999 should be used when someone is in immediate danger, if the crime is still in progress or you need police help immediately. Hoax calls take up call handlers’ valuable time and could get in the way of a genuine emergency call.”

Cambs Police said that as a general rule, 999 should be used:

when someone is in immediate danger,

if the crime is still in progress,

you need police help immediately,

if property is in danger of being damaged or

a serious disruption to the public is likely.