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101 police non-emergency number 'down' 101 police non-emergency number running again
(35 minutes later)
The non-emergency 101 number used to contact police is down, forces across England are reporting. The non-emergency 101 number used to contact police is now running again after technical difficulties this morning.
At least nine forces have confirmed they are affected by the issue since 9am this morning, according to the BBC. They include Cheshire and Sussex. At least nine forces confirmed they were affected technical issues on Saturday morning.
Humberside Police tweeted: "We can confirm that 101 is not working nationally. Fault lies with some kit in Birmingham which is being worked on." Humberside Police had tweeted: "We can confirm that 101 is not working nationally. Fault lies with some kit in Birmingham which is being worked on."
Police in Scotland said they too are experiencing problems with the non-emergency phone number. Police in Scotland said they too were experiencing problems with the non-emergency phone number.
A posting on the official Police Scotland Twitter feed stated: "We are aware of an issue when dialling 101. Please call 01786 289070 instead. In an emergency always call 999."# The Metropolitan Police tweeted at 11am that there were problems with the 101 number and asked people to visit their local station to report non-urgent crime.
Suffolk police advised members of the public with non-urgent matters to call 01473 613500. Another tweet said: "999 calls remain unaffected but Londoners are reminded to only use this in an emergency."
There have been reports on social media suggesting the NHS non-emergency 111 number is also down in some areas. The emergency 999 number is unaffected. Humberside Police said on Twitter this afternoon: "We can confirm that 101 is not working nationally. Fault lies with some kit in Birmingham which is being worked on."
The Metropolitan Police said it is working with its service provider to rectify the issue. Many other forces around the country told the same story, including north of the border where a posting on the official Police Scotland Twitter feed stated: "We are aware of an issue when dialling 101. Please call 01786 289070 instead. In an emergency always call 999."
In a statement, it said: “The Metropolitan Police is currently experiencing technical issues with the 101 non-emergency number. As a result calls are not being received via this route. West Midlands Ambulance Service said that a national telecommunications fault had resulted in most calls to NHS 111 call centres in England, including the one that it runs, not being connected.
“The 999 system is unaffected but Londoners are reminded that this should only be used in the case of an emergency. "The telecoms provider is aware of the problem and is working to fix it," it said.
“Non-emergency crime can be reported online via www.met.police.uk or at your local police station.” Later a spokeswoman for NHS England said: "The NHS 111 is now working normally. A previous technical issue has been resolved. The public should use the service as normal."
A Home Office spokesperson said: “We are aware that there is a technical problem affecting the 101 service and are working with our supplier, Vodafone, to resolve this as soon as possible. Staffordshire police tweeted that the national 101 problem had been resolved, and asked people to start using it again, and other forces confirmed that the number was now working in their areas.
“The Government is committed to reconnecting the police and the public and the 101 non-emergency number is an important part of this. Additional reporting by PA
“We strongly recommend that members of the public do not call 999 as an alternative but instead check their local police force website or twitter account for a substitute phone number to contact in regards to a non-emergency incident.”