Press release

Britons too quick to dial 999

• Huge proportion of Britons don't know what constitutes an emergency
• Half of Britons do not know local non-emergency number
• An estimated 80 per cent of 999 calls are regarded by police as non-emergencies

11th April 2007. Research unveiled today by ntl:Telewest Business reveals the reasons behind thousands of wasted police man-hours. There is vast public confusion over the exact nature of a police emergency and more than half of Britons do not know their local non-emergency number. Every year UK emergency services are bombarded with 999 calls, but police forces have acknowledged that up to four in five of these are of a non-emergency nature.

As part of research to uncover the reasons behind huge numbers of misdirected 999 calls, Britons were given nine situations and asked which they considered to be a real 999 emergency. These ranged from noisy neighbours and acts of graffiti to an elderly person being mugged.

A high percentage of the population stated that they would dial 999 to report an incident that police forces consider a non-emergency. For instance 68 per cent of respondents stated that drug related anti-social behaviour would prompt them to dial 999 and 44 per cent would call 999 to report drunken behaviour in public. These calls can clog up an already over-stretched telephone system.

In addition 54 per cent of the population did not know their local non-emergency number, while three per cent claimed to know a UK wide non-emergency number that does not exist.

The research highlights a definite need for the police to educate the public about non-emergency numbers. To handle these calls efficiently, the non-emergency  infrastructure has to be supported by the latest available technology. ntl:Telewest Business works with 80 per cent of emergency services in the UK, supporting their efforts to provide robust services to local residents.

The research also revealed a shocking minority who would not call 999 in the event of a real emergency. Six per cent of Britons would not dial 999 in the event of an OAP being mugged. The other eight situations were of a non-emergency nature and the answers to these are revealing. According to the study:

• Men are four per cent more likely to call 999 in the event of a non-emergency than women. In many cases men were up to six per cent more likely to call 999, especially if their CD player had been stolen
• More than one in 10 Britons would dial 999 to report a noisy neighbour
• One in four Britons consider vandalism, graffiti and other deliberate damage to be cause for an emergency call
• Perhaps unsurprisingly, younger adults (18 to 24 year olds) appeared to be less public spirited than their parents' generation. More than one in seven of them considered an elderly person being mugged as a non-emergency.
• 69% of Scottish respondents correctly recognised that drunken behaviour was not an emergency compared to the British average of 56%
• Nearly one in 10 Britons did not realise that local non-emergency numbers existed

Christopher Small, Director of Public Sector at ntl:Telewest Business, said: "These results should prove an eye opener for police forces and the public alike. With so many man-hours at stake and pressure to increase efficiency from central government it is vital that the public do their best to understand what constitutes an emergency and what doesn't. But the onus should lie with the police to educate the public about the availability of non-emergency numbers in their areas. And to make sure these numbers are appropriately maintained by support staff and modern technology."

YouGov carried out the research in March 2007 on behalf of ntl:Telewest Business.

Notes to Editors

Local non-emergency numbers are available in most regions of the UK, however one in five of UK police forces still do not have a dedicated local non-emergency number. The fire service offers a varied selection of dedicated non-emergency numbers. The ambulance service does not currently offer local non-emergency numbers, the public can contact NHS Direct in an event of non-emergency.

The Home Office and Department of Communities and Local Government are currently promoting the Single Non-Emergency Number (SNEN), which will deal with non-emergency issues of policing, crime and anti-social behaviour. It is already in place in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Cardiff, Sheffield, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear, Leicester and Rutland. A fuller service is expected to roll out in late 2007.

About ntl:Telewest Business

ntl:Telewest Business, part of the UK's second largest fixed-line telecommunications company, is a leading communications provider to businesses, public sector organisations and service providers in the UK. It delivers a complete portfolio of voice, data and internet solutions
nation-wide.

ntl:Telewest Business sales and support teams are located across the UK, in close proximity to our customers, as part of a commitment to deliver superior customer service.

ntl:Telewest Business delivers services over the Group's £13bn investment in its state-of-the-art infrastructure giving business customers access to the largest alternative network in the UK.

ntl:Telewest Business is trusted to provide critical communications to high profile customers including: Heathrow's Terminal 5, Birmingham City Council and Cambridge County Council.

For further information go to http://www.ntltelewestbusiness.co.uk/.


ntl:Telewest Business press contacts:
Tara Flanagan, PR Executive                    

ntl:Telewest Business                          
T: 01256 753101                        
E: tara.flanagan2@virginmedia.co.uk    

Rupert Walker, Press Office
Rainier PR
T: 020 7494 6596

E: searl@rainierpr.co.uk