999 call to complainNews police helicopter noisy

A COASTGUARD helicopter crew winched an injured woman to safety after she suffered suspected spinal injuries in a nasty fall.

The Brighouse woman hurt her back in a fall on to stone steps in remote woodland at Hardcastle Crags, a woodland valley visitor attraction near Hebden Bridge.

Rescuers on the ground requested assistance from the Humber Coastguard because a winch rescue was needed as there was nowhere to land.

A spokesman for Calder Valley Search & Rescue said its members had attended the scene on Sunday at around 4.30pm along with the Yorkshire Ambulance Service.

He added: “Twenty-three members immediately made their way to the location.

“A team doctor provided casualty care and pain relief before the lady was placed in a pelvic binder and then immobilised in a vacuum mattress ready for evacuation.

“We’ve since had an update that the casualty had suffered soft tissue injury but thankfully no fractures.” FINES should be handed to ‘999 time-wasters’ who make frivolous and pointless telephone calls to police, it is claimed.

Call handlers with West Yorkshire Police are having to put up with all manner of ludicrous inquiries from members of the public.

This week someone dialled 999 to complain to the hardpressed force about the noise from a police helicopter.

A spokesman said: “We only deploy the helicopter when it is truly needed – ringing 999 to complain about the noise is not really appropriate.”

The force contact centre also took a 999 call this week from someone saying that they were unable to use the toilet.

After the silly 999 calls were reported on social media, several people called for fines for time-wasters.

One woman said: “The calls you receive continue to shock me. Surely there should be a consequence for the receipt of such calls - a way of a five automatically being added to the phone bill.”

One man said people should bear mind what the helicopter was being used for.

“I doubt they would complain if it was out tracing someone who burgled their house, or their relative is missing.”

Another man added: “Honestly, words fail me. Ringing 999 because the helicopter is too loud. Unbelievable.”