WILTSHIRE Police are expecting a spike in demand and phone calls following the easing of pandemic safety restrictions.

The force is reminding people to only call 999 in an emergency and to consider reporting an offence online if it is not urgent.

The call centre receives almost 100,000 999 calls a year but found that more than half of them relate to issues that could have been reported a different way.

Plus, they receive almost 300,000 101 calls each year. The website www.wiltshire.police.uk lets people report non-urgent crime, access a range of services, get up-to-date information on whether the police is the right agency to call and keep informed of the latest news and appeals.

Assistant Chief Constable Deb Smith said: “Our message is so simple – the power to help us lies within every member of our community.

“If you are able to report an incident or access the information you need on our website, you will be playing your part in reducing the thousands of calls we get into our call centre each year.

“Throughout the pandemic, all police forces saw a reduction in crime as lockdown simply meant most people were living and working at home but we are now all expecting calls for our services to rapidly rise.

“We will always be here for you when you need us the most. All we are encouraging you to do is to ask yourself – can I access what I need online or do I need to call?”