POLICE are dealing with "wholly inappropriate" 999 calls across the jubilee bank holiday - including a drunk man who called five times to complain about his bank account.

The force control room at Essex Police received more than 1,500 calls from the public yesterday, reporting around 1,400 incidents.

Amongst the time-wasters causing delays was a man who called to ask for the time.

The control room operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week and has around 270 staff.

On average it took call handlers just under five seconds to answer 94% of incoming emergency 999 calls yesterday.

This level of response comfortably meets a newly-set Home Office target for UK police forces to answer 90% of 999 calls in under 10 seconds.

READ MORE: 'Worrying' number of false 999 calls in Essex causing delays in police control room

A police spokesman said: "But we continue to receive calls to 999 and 101 that are wholly inappropriate.

"One intoxicated man called us six times to report that his bank account was lower than it should be, before abusing our call handler.

"Another man called us to ask for the time, whilst a third called to ask if he had left his bank card in a police car the previous evening."

Police expect demand to remain high throughout the weekend, with Creamfields South music festival due to begin in Hylands Park, Chelmsford.

Chief Supt Stuart Hooper, Essex Police’s Head of Contact Management, said: “There are many different ways you can get in contact with us to report non-emergency crime.

“Yesterday our call handlers answered 90% of non-emergency 101 calls in 45 seconds, freeing up their colleagues to answer emergency 999 calls in under 5 seconds.

“Calling 999 must be a last resort and you should only use this service if you are reporting an emergency that requires an immediate and urgent police response.”

Police say non-emergency reports can also be made online at essex.police.uk.