Anger at police phone number changes

Confused callers attempting to report crimes are being left dangling after police pulled the plug on local stations’ telephone lines.

The vital hubs each had a dedicated phone number, which has now been replaced by the 101 emergency number.

But a failure to leave adequate warning, a recorded message or forwarding number is leaving distressed callers unable to report crimes.

A Sunday Post probe found almost half the old numbers either fail to connect, ring out, or are in use by other homes and businesses.

One call to police in Moray took us through to an ICE CREAM MAKER.

There’s concern not enough is being done to make people aware of the new 101 number, which replaced regional office numbers in 2013, and is only made clear to callers phoning around half of our police stations.

One Tayside man didn’t know where to turn after trying to ring two offices to report boy racers.

He said: “These are phone numbers which we have used for as long as we can remember.

“Yet I couldn’t get through to either and I didn’t have a clue about calling 101.

“All these numbers must now redirect people or at least let them know to call 101 instead.”

Our investigation focused on 100 former police stations across Scotland and northern England, which will still remain in many phone books, and countless “at a glance” useful number lists.

Of those, 56 were answered by an automated message which stated the number was no longer in use and had been replaced by 101.

However, the other 44 took us nowhere.

The majority are defunct, but several have been recycled and are now used by other homeowners and companies.

The number formerly used to contact Buckie police now belongs to Simpsons, an ice cream manufacturer.

A member of staff said: “We get a lot of calls from people looking to speak to the police. It happens almost daily.”

In Scotland, six of the eight former police switchboard numbers offer no alternative.

Those numbers were routinely supplied to the public, with many people relying on them as their first port of call on witnessing criminal activity.

But if you phone 75% of them now, the line is cut off with a message confirming the number is no longer recognised but no alternative is supplied.

In north England, a third of constabulary switchboards fail to connect.

Most retired numbers are still suggested on many internet search engines too.

Labour Justice Spokesman, Graeme Pearson, a former police officer, believes more consideration was required ahead of launching the 101 number.

He said: “It’s disappointing The Sunday Post has to identify the shortcoming instead of either the Scottish Police Authority or Police Scotland.

“The technology must be there to allow these calls to be forwarded to help the public.”

The 101 helpline was launched at the same time £200,000-a-year police chief Sir Stephen House chose to close 65 stations across Scotland as part of a money-saving exercise.

Police Scotland said steps are being taken to make people more aware of the new number, introduced in England in 2011.

A spokeswoman said: “None of the phone numbers which were assigned to Police Scotland as direct numbers in the past will connect to a station now.

“If BT has reassigned any of these numbers, that’s a matter for them.

“Police Scotland is working with BT to ensure remaining direct numbers for local stations are removed from the phone book, and every new book carries a prominent ad advising of the 101 and 999 numbers.”