CHESHIRE Police answered 76 per cent of 999 calls in under 10 seconds, new data reveals.

The time it takes each police force in the UK to answer emergency 999 calls has been published for the first time ever, in a bid to further improve the speed of the service.

On average across the UK, police forces receive a 999 call every three seconds.

This new data shows 71 per cent of these are answered within the target of under 10 seconds, with an overall average of 16.1 seconds answer time.

In Cheshire, 76 per cent of calls were answered in under 10 seconds, 17 per cent between 10 and 60 seconds and seven per cent after 60 seconds.

This equals an average answering time of 18.2 seconds.

The data is only for police specific 999 calls between November 1, 2021, and April 30, 2022, and does not take into account any 999 calls for other emergency services.

Police forces are operationally independent, and each will have its own unique pressures to identify and address – including prank calls, a lag time in connecting and inappropriate use of 999 to call for issues that are not emergencies.

Chief constable Mark Roberts, Cheshire Police, said: “Since November 2021 we have seen a steady increase in the speed in which we can answer 999 calls received in our control room. 

“This in part, has been due to a successful recruitment drive, investment in training and a dedicated 999 hub, stabilising a good service to the people of Cheshire who call us for help at some of the worst moments of their life.

“When they do call us, it is important their calls are answered promptly and that we provide the best service and response possible.

“Alongside the investment in resources, we are constantly working with BT to improve our connection times. 

“It is through a combination of these measures that our average time for answering 999 calls for this month, from BT putting the call through to us, took six seconds.

“These calls and our response times are monitored daily, and this remains a priority for us - when someone is desperate for help, we know that every second can count.”