Police issue urgent update after 101 calls hit by outage and 999 calls 'delayed'

A police force tonight issued an urgent update after its 101 phone line was hit by an outage and its 999 calls were facing delays.

Wiltshire Police said the issue was caused by "technical difficulties" in their control room. The force said those calling 999 to report an emergency would have their calls answered but with "a slight delay" but the 101 telephone service isn't currently working.

However, the 101 function on the police's website is still working, police said, urging those who want to report a crime not in progress to use it. The police said it is working to bring the telephone service back online as soon as possible.

READ MORE: Ambulance call handlers quitting over 'cries for help they can't answer'

Wiltshire Police said in a statement: "We are currently experiencing technical difficulties in our control room which have resulted in an outage of the 101 telephone service. Those ringing 999 to report emergency crimes in progress will have their calls answered but with a slight delay.

"The 101 function of our website is still operational and anyone wishing to report a crime not in progress should follow the link in the comment section of this post. Work is rapidly ongoing to bring the telephone service back online. Thank you for your patience."

Earlier this year we reported that ambulance call handlers are going off sick and quitting in droves after bearing the brunt of public anger due to 999 delays and long NHS ambulance wait times. Data revealed under Freedom of Information laws shows the average 999 call handler takes a month off sick each year - compared to four days for the average UK worker.

As well as soaring sickness rates, staff burnout is leading to thousands quitting their jobs with one in four leaving last year. Call handlers have revealed the "emotional toll" of 12-hour shifts dealing with people's "pain", "fear" and "cries for help". The findings were compiled by Unisonfor a report outlining the impact on frontline 999 staff after a decade of worsening ambulance response times.

One said: "One moment, you're guiding someone through CPR, the next, you're handling a major incident, like the recent Liverpool victory parade. There’s a significant emotional impact. It’s relentless. You log in, take emotionally intense calls for 12 hours straight, and then go home."

Another 999 call handler said: "Typically, those who can't cope with the intensity of the calls or the distressing screams on some calls tend to leave within a month." Back in June 2023, emergency 999 calls failed to connect across the UK due to technical issues with the phone lines.

Brits were urged to call 101 in an emergency for police and fire, or 111 in a medical emergency, after BT reported a "system failure". A spokesperson for BT said at the time: "Earlier today we experienced a technical fault with the 999 service. We are sincerely sorry for the distress this has caused.

"There was a short period of time as we switched over to the back-up system during which calls could not get through. In this instance, we are still able to see who is trying to reach the operator, and our handlers reconnect calls as a matter of urgency.

"Our back-up platform took calls throughout most of Sunday, with people able to call 999 as usual. The primary 999 service was restored earlier this evening and we are no longer relying on the back-up system. We are monitoring the service, and we continue to work hard to determine the root cause and the impact this has had."