WEST Mercia Police is urging people to be patient in making emergency calls to the service following technical issues on Thursday.

Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Jones said the service is currently experiencing technical issues with its call and recording systems, and this has led to some delays in responding to calls.

She added: “However, we are prioritising 999 calls, as you would expect, so please be reassured that the appropriate police response is still in place for all emergencies.

“Please only use the 999 number if you call is an emergency.

"For non-emergencies you can still use our online reporting system at www.westmercia.police.uk/ro/report/

“We apologise for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience whilst we address the issue.”