An average of 259 emergency calls were made to police per day over the past six months, latest figures have revealed.

Between December 15, 2020, and June 21, 2021, Suffolk police's switchboard also received an average of 469 daily calls to the force's non-emergency 101 number.

Suffolk police has released the statistics as the force reminds people they can report non-emergency incidents online to help manage the "summer surge".

During the summer, police typically receive a high-volume of calls and the force says with an expected increase in visitors, demand on the 101 telephone number is likely to rise.

The force launched its 'Click Before You Call' campaign in October 2020, in a bid to speed up non-urgent crime reporting and in turn, reduce demand on its control room at peak times.

Incidents can be reported on the force's website by clicking the 'report something' button. The matter will then be dealt with in the same way as a call to 101, the force said.

The online service can be used as an alternative method to report anything from anti-social behaviour, road-related incidents and other non-emergency crimes, in only a matter of minutes.

East Anglian Daily Times: Superintendent Kerry Cutler from Suffolk policeSuperintendent Kerry Cutler from Suffolk police (Image: Archant)

Superintendent Kerry Cutler said: "Summer is always a busy time for policing and we’ve already started to receive an increased volume of calls.

"With restrictions on overseas travel still in place, we are expecting a really busy summer as more people visit our county.

"While we want people to enjoy their holidays, the increase in visitors inevitably leads to a rise in calls on the 101 non-emergency number, which can impact on waiting times.

"In addition, I would ask people to consider whether their call is appropriate for police.

"We regularly receive inappropriate calls or calls which should be directed to other partner agencies. If in doubt, further information can be found on our website.

"Therefore, if you need to contact police this summer and it’s not an emergency, ‘Click before you call’ as it will save you time and help us keep the phone lines free for those who urgently need our help.”

East Anglian Daily Times: Tim Passmore, Suffolk's police and crime commissionerTim Passmore, Suffolk's police and crime commissioner (Image: Archant)

Tim Passmore, police and crime commissioner for Suffolk, said: "As a wonderful holiday location, summer is always a busy time in our beautiful county, and it’s set to be even busier this year as we are all holidaying closer to home.

"While increased numbers of visitors in the county is great news for the local economy, it is anticipated this will impact on the number of calls into our control room over the summer.

"If you need to contact the police, and it’s not an emergency, I would urge you to consider using the website."

Police said people should always call 999 when an emergency is ongoing, such as when a crime is in progress or when a life is in danger.