A national intermittent fault with the BT 999 service is currently affecting all emergency services and meaning that those looking for urgent help are unable to get through. Local police forces, including Avon and Somerset, and Wiltshire Police, are among those who have shared to Twitter an alert and other advice around what to do in an emergency, until the issue is fixed.
Avon and Somerset Police are advising people to call 101 for Avon Fire & Rescue, as well as Devon and Somerset Fire & Rescue Service, and police services, and 111 for ambulance services, if they are unable to call 999. You can also report non-emergency police matters through the website here.
Wiltshire Police and Dorset Police have both advised anyone who can't get through to 999 to call 101, with Wiltshire's force adding: "We're assured that they're working to get this fault resolved as soon as possible".
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Sky News reports that the UK's largest police force - London's Metropolitan Police - has said that many 999 calls were not connecting and also advised people to call 101 in an emergency until further notice. West Yorkshire Police said the issue was with BT's 999 lines and that the company was experiencing issues "all over the country", while Northamptonshire Police also described the technical fault as "nationwide".
NHS England has also said the issue was "affecting the national 999 call system" and urged those unable to contact 999 in a medical emergency to call 111 who will redirect the call. According to reports from Sky News, BT have been working to put a back up system in place.
