999 hoaxers told: You’re putting lives in danger

4,000 MALICIOUS CALLS OVER THREE YEARS

NORTH West Ambulance Service (NWAS) received nearly 4,000 hoax calls in the last three years, according to official figures.

The figures, obtained by the Manchester Liberal Democrats after Freedom of Information requests, found that 23,942 hoax calls were made to nine of England’s ten ambulance services between 2017 and 2019.

In all, 3,692 hoax calls were recorded in the north west, with 1,208 of those in 2019 – a rise of 12 per cent from the 1,075 recorded in 2018.

NWAS received the second highest number of fake calls across England’s services.

Coun Richard Kilpatrick, for Didsbury West, issued an urgent plea for people to think twice about making hoax calls to ambulance services – particularly over the New Year period.

“Pressure on our emergency services has never been greater,” he said.

“As we enter the New Year period, I am pleading with hoax callers to think about their own family and friends before wasting the time of our overstretched emergency services.

“Anyone who maliciously calls for an ambulance is putting an untold number of lives in danger. An ambulance that is diverted to a hoax is one that can’t save a life elsewhere.

“One day, that could be your mum, dad, brother, sister or friend. Is it really worth risking someone’s life for five minutes of ‘fun’?”

It is a criminal offence to misuse emergency services and make hoax calls.

Anyone found guilty could face a maximum penalty of up to six months in prison or a fine of £5,000.

A spokesman from North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust said: “Making a 999 call at any time of the year for anything other than a life-threatening or serious emergency puts lives at risk. “Any call that is not a medical emergency takes up valuable time and resources which can prevent or delay our ambulance crews getting to those who are in the most urgent need of our help. “What may seem like a laugh and a joke can have serious consequences. “Those who do think this is funny should imagine if their own relative couldn’t get through to us because the line was occupied by someone making a prank call.”

An ambulance that is diverted to a hoax is one that can’t save a life elsewhere

Coun Richard Kilpatrick, Didsbury West