NORTH Yorkshire's Chief Constable, Della Cannings, has said the public is misusing the 999 emergency telephone line.

At 3.25 in the morning of Sunday, February 15 I needed to contact the police on an urgent, but non-emergency matter.

I rang Fulford Road police station but could not obtain a reply. I then rang Crime Stoppers, to be told by a recorded message, "ring back when the office is open, between 9am and 4.30pm".

As it happened I chose not to ring 999. My point is that the 999 system was the only option left to me to contact the police.

J Skelton,

Bracken Road,

Dringhouses, York.

Updated: 10:48 Thursday, February 19, 2004