Booze calls to 999 on the rise in Sutton and Merton (From This Is Local London)

Booze calls to 999 on the rise in Sutton and Merton

7:00am Tuesday 31st August 2010 in

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Booze-related 999 calls for ambulances rose by more than five per cent last year - the third biggest hike in south London.

London Ambulance Service received 2,126 emergency calls where alcohol was judged to be a major factor in Sutton and Merton in 2009/10.

The figure represents 5.1 per cent of the service’s total workload.

Ambulance operations manager for Sutton and Merton Bill Arkell said: “Our top priority is to provide a fast, effective and first-class response to people in Sutton and Merton when they need us, so an increase in alcohol-related calls is a real concern.

“We now attend an average of almost six calls every single day because somebody’s simply had too much to drink and that limits our ability to reach people who really need our help.

“People should enjoy themselves when they’re out in the borough, but I’d urge people to think carefully before dialling 999.

“Please be sensible when you’re out drinking and remember to use your ambulance service wisely.

“That will help us to ensure that ambulances are available for people with life-threatening emergencies.”

Since the introduction of the new licensing laws in 2005, alcohol-related calls in Sutton and Merton have gone up by 24 per cent, from 1,715 in 2004/05.

Across London they have increased by 25.6 per cent, from 48,311.