Like hoaxes and other misguided calls, these all add to the load on the 999 system and make it harder for the police, fire and ambulance services to do their job. A great many accidental calls come from mobile phones, often when phone keypads get knocked or squashed while the phones are in people's pockets or bags. Most mobile telephones have a keypad lock that will prevent accidental dialling to 999, however keypad locks do not often fail to guard against another type of accidental call. Some inadvertent calls have been traced to young children who have pressed phone buttons without realising what they are doing. A special information campaign has been launched to try to tackle this problem.
More information is available by clicking here .