999 technical issue resolved after critical technical fault

25 June 2023, 08:40 | Updated: 25 June 2023, 10:22

The 999 emergency phone system is back up and running after it was taken down by a technical fault.

Read the latest here

Developments earlier on Sunday:

Anyone with an emergency was told to contact 101 instead.

Police, firefighters and ambulance services both spread the word on Sunday morning.

"Please ONLY call in an emergency and please wait until later to make any 101 non-emergency calls," the Met said.

The force did not immediately elaborate.

"Following a critical technical issue that is affecting emergency services nationally, calls to 999 are not currently working," Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue said.

"Until resolved, you should contact 101 in any emergency. We will update you when it's resolved."

LBC contacted BT, which runs the 999 system.

Greater Manchester Police said: "BT have advised a number of forces that they are experiencing issues with their 999 lines that may affect connection to an emergency service."

101 is normally used as the non-emergency number.

Forces including the Met, Greater Manchester Police, West Midlands, West Yorkshire, South Wales and Avon and Somerset joined calls for people to use 101.

They were joined by police in Derbyshire, Cumbria, Bedfordshire, Essex, Northamptonshire, Gwent, and Devon and Cornwall.

Firefighters in at least the West Midlands, Devon and Somerset, North Wales and South Wales posted about the technical fault.

The London Ambulance Service, West Midlands Ambulance Service and North West Ambulance Service did the same.

Updates to follow