Police are reminding the public only to call 999 in an emergency after a man rang the line to ask for the non-emergency number.
It comes after Essex Police received nearly 1,200 calls from members of the public yesterday, Friday, May 27, with only 220 of them concerning emergency incidents.
Some of the non-emergency phone calls included a lorry driver calling to report a taxi blocking a warehouse entrance where there was no impact to public highway and the taxi company details were also known to the lorry driver.
Essex Police control room also received a call to report a van in the car park of a village hall where the handbrake had failed and it had rolled slightly - the owner arrived during the call and the issue was resolved.
Chief Superintendent Stuart Hooper, Essex Police’s head of contact management, said: “Every day our operators taking 999 and 101 calls work tirelessly to make sure we get you the help you need and ensure our officers are where they are needed most.
“However, we are experiencing an increasing number of calls to 999 for matters which don’t require an emergency response.
“We want to help everyone, but in the moments it takes us to answer a 999 call for something that is not an emergency it could mean that somewhere, someone else who genuinely needs us quickly may be waiting to get through.
“If you need us but it is not an emergency, please consider: using our website which is full of useful information which may help; using our online reporting or Live Chat functions to report crime or give us information; and you can also call 101.
"Everyone who needs our help will get it, but we need you to help us to help you by using the most appropriate method of contact.”
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