POLICE chiefs are warning that thousands of crank calls are putting lives at risk across Essex.

The force receives up to 400 calls a month from time-wasters.

The force has now published recordings of inappropriate, hoax and abusive 999 phone calls to highlight the problem as part of a new ‘More Time to Fight Crime’ campaign. 

The calls include a man dialling 999 to complain there is a rat in his house and someone else phoning simply to swear at police.

One caller dialled 999 more than 50 times in just one evening after he missed his last train home and can be heard being abusive to the police operator. 

Another said he needed someone to take his dog home.  Police chiefs claim the bogus calls could put lives at risk.

Chief Insp Glen Pavelin, who is in charge of the force control room, said: "We take a zero-tolerance approach to hoax calls because they stop people who really need us from getting through.

"Our message is clear – it’s not clever, it’s not funny and it could well end up with you being arrested, fined and imprisoned.”

"But we also want people to understand what is and isn’t a police matter. We take hundreds of calls every month on issues like noise nuisance or parking problems which can and should be resolved by local partners.

"We will always try and help but especially at summertime our resources can be stretched. Knowing how to do things like report non-emergency crime online will give us more time to fight crime.”

The campaign comes as new police figures reveal a seasonal crime spike crime which Essex sees in summertime before the figures fall back in autumn. 

The force also experiences a summer increase in so-called "non-crime" incidents such as missing people.

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"We get called for everything, from an 'offensive builder’s bum' to murder and deaths on our roads," he said.

"If we can raise awareness of the non-policing matters that can be better resolved elsewhere we free up time and people to tackle the issues we know communities really need us for.”