You can contact the police and stay silent by making a 999 call (stock photo) (Image: Getty)
It’s common knowledge among Brits that 999 is the emergency number to call if you need immediate help.
The in life-threatening emergencies, including serious road accidents, strokes and heart attacks. This number is also used to contact the police, like when a crime is ongoing.
However, there are some instances when a person might call 999 to get in touch with the and be unable to talk. In this situation, you can call 999 then press 55 when prompted and your call will be transferred to the police.
Content creator Wendy Glancy shared this important information on to her 268,500 followers. In the video she said: “If you are in a situation where you cannot talk to the police or if you’re in a car with somebody and you’re thinking ‘no, this isn’t going the way I want it to go’, ring 999 and you can remain silent.
“All you have to do is press 55. After you’ve rang 999 don’t say a word, press 55, fifty-five and it will alert the police you are in a situation where you cannot talk.”
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She pointed out that the police “get a lot of silent 999 calls and they don’t know which ones are genuine and which ones are fake” but if you ring 999 then press 55, it will alert the police that you are in danger. Wendy added: “They will trace your phone and they will get somebody to you as quickly as they can. I think that’s really worth knowing.”
The has also given advice on how to make a silent 999 call. On its it says: “If you’re in danger, call 999 and try to speak to the operator if you can, even by whispering. You may also be asked to cough or tap the keys on your phone to answer questions.”
If you ring 999 from a mobile and you don’t speak or answer questions, the police force advise to press 55 or tap when prompted and your call will be transferred to the police, who will “usually be able to find your location.” The Metropolitan Police website states that when you ring 999 from a landline, if you “don’t speak or answer questions and the operator can only hear background noise”, they’ll transfer your call to the police.
It adds: “If you replace the handset, the landline may remain connected for 45 seconds in case you pick it up again. Calling 999 from a landline automatically gives the police information about your location.”
It adds: “If you replace the handset, the landline may remain connected for 45 seconds in case you pick it up again. Calling 999 from a landline automatically gives the police information about your location.”
Wendy’s video, with important 999 advice that could save your life if you are in danger, has garnered 353,400 views, 18,400 likes and more than 600 comments, at the time of writing. One user shared: “I work for 999 and yes wait for us to put you through to Met auto. There’s an automated message telling you to press 55 and I will immediately direct you to police and I will give them your location.”
Another user added: “This is insane. Just yesterday I was thinking if I needed to call the police and couldn’t speak, how would I do it?”
A third revealed: “I remained silent on a 999 call and they texted and asked if they could ping my location, reply yes, which I did and they were there quickly.” Others left comments, including “that is such a brilliant idea”, “that is so good thank you for sharing that” and “more people need to know this!”