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Lincolnshire Police: 999 calls near New Year's Eve levels

Police jacket
Image caption,

Officers were assaulted as calls reached New Year's Eve levels across Lincolnshire

  • Published

Police officers had blood spat at them on the first weekend since Covid restrictions were lifted, a force has said.

Lincolnshire Police said emergency call levels almost rivalled New Year's Eve and the number of non-emergency calls soared.

Assaults on officers also included them being kicked, hit, and spat at. Some received death threats.

Across the weekend, 110 people were arrested for a variety of offences, the force said.

'Never acceptable'

In a post on social media, the force shared details of some of the assaults officers were subjected to.

It said: "Some have had blood spat at them, some have been kicked and hit, some have had threats made to their lives, some have been spat at in the face. This is not acceptable and never will be.

"Our officers put themselves in harm's way every day, usually to try and protect complete strangers, and should never be subject to this type of assault.

"We know the job comes with risks but this should never be part of it. Please make sure that you treat our officers with respect and consideration, their job is not an easy one at the best of times."

The force received more than 1,200 emergency 999 calls between Friday and Sunday with in excess of 1,600 non-emergency calls also recorded.

Ch Insp Phil Vickers told the Â鶹ԼÅÄ: "Unfortunately from a policing point of view the levels of call outs on our control room and officers out of the ground was approaching New Year's Eve levels."

"Our officers were really busy, we cancelled rest days, we had people working who should have been at home with their families."

"We increased our numbers in anticipation but unfortunately it was a busy weekend for us," he added.

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