Busier than New Year’s Eve: Shropshire 999 calls spiral during World Cup

Its control room is receiving calls at a rate of up to one call every 21 seconds – up 50 per cent on normal.

Police believe the number of calls could be down to the World Cup and hot weather, combined with too much alcohol.

Figures today reveal the level of weekend 999 calls was 20 per cent higher than New Year’s Eve. And non-emergency calls were 72 per cent up on normal.

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Chief Inspector Sean Kent said the force’s operations and communications centre received 414 calls via 999 and 886 non-emergency 101 calls from 5pm on Saturday until 7pm on Sunday and there were peak times within that period.

He said: “There is no straightforward explanation for why we saw this increase over the weekend, however we do anticipate more calls when we have warm weather and increase staffing to aid that.”

He added ahead of tonight’s England game: “I’d like to take this opportunity to urge the public to only call 999 in an emergency and 101 where appropriate.”

Police forces across the UK have reported a rise in domestic violence surrounding England’s World Cup games.

West Mercia Police’s operations centre tweeted: “During hot weather and the World Cup we expect to see an increase in demand.”

Research into the link between domestic abuse and the football has shown that reports increase when the England team win or lose a football match and that crime increases with every World Cup tournament.

In 2013, Lancaster University analysed domestic violence figures from the 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014 World Cups.

Domestic violence incidents were 11 per cent higher the day after England played, whatever the outcome, and were at its highest at a weekend or when the team exited the tournament.

West Mercia Police's operations centre last night tweeted: "During hot weather and the World Cup we expect to see an increase in call demand."