A shock increase of 35 per cent in 999 calls this summer has led Thames Valley Police to ask people to think twice before they use the service.

Some calls are made about things that are not police matters - such as noise disputes, parking issues, broken down or abandoned vehicles.

Helen Faulkner, senior delivery manager for Contact Management, said: “A call to 999 which is not an emergency could potentially stop someone in real need getting help from us.

“If it is not an emergency, then call the non-emergency number 101 or you can report a crime online on our website.

“We are aware that people might have to wait longer when calling 101 at this time, this is due to this increase in demand. But we would ask that people be patient and not call 999 as an alternative number.

“If you do need to call 101 then consider calling outside peak times which tend to be between 4pm and 8pm.

She emphasised though that in real emergency people whould always ring 999.

Information about policing can be found on Twitter @AskThePolice or on the Ask The Police website.