Suffolk Police are launching a campaign to help members of the public make the right call when they need help or advice.

Supported by a series of social media posts, the Make the Right Call campaign aims to signpost people to the correct agency for a number of commonly asked questions.

It follows a peak in both emergency and non-emergency calls to the Constabulary this summer, with more than 78,000 calls made between June and August – an increase of 9pc from the same period in 2015 – and calls made to ‘999’ increasing by over a fifth.

The new Suffolk Police website features a wealth of information to help users source the support they may need. It includes advice and guidance on crime prevention and safety, enables users to report crime and directs them to the appropriate channel or organisation so they know who to call.

Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Kearton said: “As a police service it is crucial that we are available when people need us, at all times.

“On average, our control room staff are currently receiving more than 800 calls per day and play a vital role in saving lives. The commitment of police to public safety means that officers are sent to calls for help that are not police-related and are therefore diverting resources from emergencies.

“We have improved our website so it is a one-stop shop of information to make sure people know the most appropriate ways to get in contact with us and recognise what is and isn’t a police matter.”

This summer Suffolk Police saw a peak in demand for both emergency and non-emergency calls. Across June, July and August, 78,689 calls were received in the Suffolk control room, compared with 72,271 last year over the same dates; 25,616 to ‘999’ (21,105 in 2015) and 53,073 to ‘101’ (51,166 in 2015). Many of these did not relate to police matters and could have been dealt with by partner agencies.

Some of the most common calls received by police which are handled by other agencies include:

- Noisy neighbours

- Lost property

- Missing dogs

- Fly tipping and littering

- Reporting potholes

- Abandoned vehicles

Suffolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Tim Passmore, said: “I fully support the Make the Right Call campaign to help everyone understand exactly who to call – and remember that it won’t always be the police.

“It is crucially important that members of the public know how to contact the Constabulary when they need to and it’s equally important that they know which agency to call for non-policing issues.”