Police are finally fighting back against a bizarre flood of calls about everything from late pizzas to slow pub service. A new artificial intelligence system is being rolled out to stop officers and call handlers wasting precious time on complaints that have nothing to do with policing. The Home Office says the new software will tackle nuisance, prank and misdirected calls to the non-emergency 101 number. The system is expected to save police forces £8.5million a year by sending callers to the organisation that can actually deal with their problem. The examples are extraordinary. Last month, someone contacted the Metropolitan Police about changing their electricity provider, while Nottinghamshire Police received a call about a lost umbrella on July 27. The following day, Humberside Police was asked for a lift. Greater Manchester Police also had to handle a call requesting tax advice, while other callers complained about delayed pizza deliveries, a takeaway running out of food and slow service in a pub. The scale of the problem is huge. The Government estimates that around one in five of the 20 million calls made to 101 are unrelated to policing. Now AI will step in. The new call-routing system will identify non-policing issues and direct callers towards the correct service, including councils, the NHS and the power outage helpline. Crime and Policing Minister Sarah Jones said police call handlers were "wasting hours" dealing with calls intended for other organisations. She said every minute spent handling those complaints takes time away from people who genuinely need police support. "AI is already helping police catch dangerous criminals and speed up investigations," Jones said. She added that the technology would help bring police control rooms "into the 21st century", freeing up time and unlocking millions of pounds for forces to reinvest in tackling crime. But there is an important limit. The AI system will not be used for 999 emergency calls, which will continue to be handled by people. The new technology has been developed by the Home Office and National Police Chiefs’ Council in partnership with Vodafone Business. During a pilot involving 15 police forces, calls about fly-tipping, noise complaints and damage-only road crashes were successfully redirected to the appropriate organisations. And there is a safety net. If the system cannot establish why someone is calling, the call will be passed to police without delay. Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Hooper, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for contact operations, said the system would help forces manage demand more effectively. He said it would free call handlers to focus on people who genuinely need police support while making public services "more efficient, responsive, and easier to navigate." The Neighbourhood Watch Network has also welcomed the move. Chief executive John Hayward-Cripps said volunteers had repeatedly heard complaints about delays and poor service from the overloaded 101 system. The new system will be introduced using £1.4million in Government funding. The Home Office says around four million 101 calls each year should actually be directed to organisations such as councils, the NHS or the power outage helpline. Officials have bluntly highlighted the stranger side of the problem, pointing to reports about delayed pizza deliveries, slow pub service and requests for lifts. Their message is clear: police resources should be spent tackling crime, not sorting out cold takeaways and missing umbrellas. The AI rollout is designed to draw a sharper line between genuine police business and everyday problems that belong elsewhere. If it works, officers could reclaim millions of pounds worth of time — while callers with real policing needs face less competition for attention. Police's most ridiculous calls including complaint about pizza to be stamped out by AI
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