Sunderland man arrested after allegedly calling police on 999 five times to complain about the NHS during coronavirus pandemic

A Sunderland man has been arrested after repeatedly calling police to complain about the NHS during coronavirus crisis.
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A 60-year-old man was arrested on Monday, March 30, after allegedly making five phone calls to the Northumbria Police’s emergency number within a 24-hour period this weekend.

The calls were not deemed a genuine emergency by officers, with the caller instead complaining to call handlers about the NHS amid the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak.

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Despite being warned against misusing the police’s telecommunication system, the advice appeared to fall on deaf ears.

A man from Sunderland has been arrested after making repeat nuisance calls to complain about NHS staffA man from Sunderland has been arrested after making repeat nuisance calls to complain about NHS staff
A man from Sunderland has been arrested after making repeat nuisance calls to complain about NHS staff

As a result, the man from Sunderland was arrested on suspicion of malicious communication offences. He remains in police custody and is currently assisting officers with their enquiries.

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With the increased demand on all emergency service staff amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the force is asking members of the public, where possible, to contact officers online via the force’s website instead of picking up the phone to report a non-emergency.

Chief Superintendent Neil Hutchison says those who abuse the system could end up with a criminal record.

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“First and foremost, I would like to pay tribute to the wonderful staff and volunteers in the NHS who are working incredibly hard to protect the communities we serve in these unprecedented times,” Chief Supt Hutchison said.

“We all have a part to play in combating the Coronavirus, and I have been absolutely delighted with the way our communities have come together over the last couple of weeks.

“The majority of people have responded positively to the advice we’ve given and have only used 999 in a genuine emergency and made in in good faith. However, there are some occasions when individuals abuse the 999 number and bombard us with nuisance calls.

“Especially at this time given the increased demand on all of us, the last thing we want is for people to have to wait on the phone to speak to one of our call handlers – but this type of behaviour has an inevitable impact on how quickly other emergency calls are answered.

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“I would therefore like to reiterate that important message – only ring 999 in an emergency, and anyone who does abuse that service can expect to be dealt with robustly.”

Last week, the number of people who contacted police online increased by more than 50% following advice issued for those reporting non-emergencies to think twice about calling 101.

In turn, the number of calls to 101 fell by 15% in comparison to the monthly average.

To contact the police about a crime, fill out an online form by searching ‘Northumbria Police – Report an Incident’ in your browser instead of calling 101.

In an emergency always dial 999.