Thousands sign up for 999 texting system

MORE than 250,000 people have signed up to use a text-based 999 system which is gaining interest on social media in the wake of terror attacks.

The emergency services provide an SMS system that allows people to raise the alarm without having to speak.

The service, which was set up to help deaf people, could also allow those in a hostage situation in which it would be too dangerous to speak to call for help silently.

But both BT and watchdog Ofcom have warned that the system should only be used when necessary. The service also has a slower response time than a 999 call.

A spokesman for the communications regulator, which requires mobile phone companies to provide the facility, said that while people should use whatever means necessary to contact emergency services during an attack, the service “has been designed specifically for people with hearing loss or difficulty with speech”.

Users register for the system in advance by sending the word “register” in a text to 999 and replying “yes” to the response. A spokesman for BT said it “did not recommend” able-bodied people use the service.

They said the “silent solution” rule, which allows silent callers to respond to prompts from the operator to cough or tap the phone, was more appropriate.