It costs 15 pence to call the new 101 number, no matter what time of the day you call or how long you stay on the phone for, and it is available 24 hours a day.

Head of Operational Support Command, Chief Superintendent Trevor Albutt said: “We hope that giving the public this memorable number will make it easier for people to report crime and also ease the pressure on the 999 system.

“Every day, we receive a number of inappropriate calls on 999 which stop or delay people with real emergencies getting through to us.

“West Mercia Police aims to provide the highest levels of customer service and we hope that adopting 101 will allow us to better prioritise the most urgent calls for help.”

Examples of where 101 should be dialled instead of 999 include:
• If your car has been stolen;
• If your property has been damaged;
• Where you suspect drug use or dealing;
• If you want to report a minor traffic collision.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired, you can access the service via textphone on 18001 101.

Chf Supt Albutt added: “This new number is already being used by several police forces, and all 43 Chief Constables across England and Wales have agreed to introduce 101 as the national police non-emergency number.

“101 is much easier to remember than the existing non-emergency number and the single rate for every call means people will know exactly how much it costs to contact us.

“Our current number – 0300 333 3000 – will continue to operate as a general switchboard number which should be used to speak to a particular person or department, for example, if you want to speak to your Local Policing Team.”

In an emergency, always call 999 if there is a crime in progress, if someone suspected of a crime is nearby, when there is danger to life or when violence is being used or threatened.

To find out more about 101 and when to use it visit http://www.westmercia.police.uk.