Northumbria Police call handlers are urging the public to think before they dial 999.
It comes after the force has seen a 40% rise in the number of 999 calls from January to May this year compared to the same period last year. This means that call handlers have already received 113,000 calls so far this year, but every month Northumbria Police says it receives more than 1,000 calls from people who shouldn't be contacting the police.
Now, as call handlers gear up for what they expect to be a busy Bank Holiday weekend, people are being urged to think about whether it really is an emergency before they ring 999.
