August 5, 2021 11.47 am This story is over 34 months old

Armed response deployed after ‘hoax and abusive’ 999 calls in Lincoln

Police say he swore at the call taker

Lincolnshire Police force control room at the Nettleham HQ. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

A teenage boy has been accused of making hoax and abusive 999 calls to Lincolnshire Police.

Lincolnshire Police received a 999 call at 7.45pm on August 1 of someone making an allegation that an armed man was following them.

The call handler immediately checked CCTV of that location and saw nothing. When prompting for more information the caller laughed and the call taker was sworn at, police say.

In a second 999 call made at 4.35am on August 2, the caller did not make any request for help, and instead is accused of making abusive comments to the call taker.

Lincolnshire Police said: “A 13-year-old boy has been reported for improper use of public communications network. We would like to remind people that 999 is there to help people when they are most in need.

“Every call we get that is not a genuine emergency means that’s one less call we can handle which could save someone’s life, prevent a serious incident, or bring an offender to justice, to name a few examples.”

Lincoln Police posted on social media saying they will ‘always seek to take firm action against those who chose to abuse such an important system’.

Lincoln Police posted a statement about the incidents. | Photo: Lincoln Police