ESSEX Police have released an extract from an abusive call by 999 hoaxer Tracey Ford.

Ford, 48, from Pitsea was jailed today at Basildon Magistrates Court having previously been found guilty after a trial.

She abused 999 call handlers 800 times.

Listen to the call here:

Transcript

Ford: And I’ve had eight of your people on 101 or, whatever, 999, do eight statements and I took it to court and I won it.

Operator: Right.

Ford: So go down that road again, let’s go down that road again.

Operator: If you call on 101, and you don’t shout at the call taker and you aren’t abusive-

Ford: Well even if I don’t shout at the call takers, you don’t listen. You keep treating everyone the same!

Operator: Right, so-

Ford: If you want to do a job, do it or go away! Yeah, do another job, because you’re not very good at it!

Sentencing Ford today, Ms Annobil, chairman of the magistrates' bench, said: "We are sending you to prison because the offences are so serious we feel a custodial sentence is justified.

"We are also imposing compensation of £100 to the police and ambulance service.

"We are adding a criminal behaviour order for five years.

"Due to your means we are waving costs and victim surcharge."

Speaking after her conviction, Chief Insp Matt Crow, head of the Essex Police force control room, said: “A hoax or nuisance call really can impact on the safety of someone calling us in an emergency.

"We will robustly deal with anyone misusing the 999 system, as demonstrated in this case, which should serve as a warning to those who make malicious or nuisance calls to the emergency services."

Dr Tom Davis, medical director for East of England Ambulance Service said: “In cases such as this, it is not acceptable to waste time and resources that could be used for helping critically ill patients.”

She has also received a Community Behavioural Order (CBO) which will last for 5 years and has two conditions which, if broken, is a criminal offence and could lead to a custodial sentence.

The first condition is that Ford must not call the 999 emergency service number unless there is a genuine emergency that would require immediate attendance from the emergency service receiving the call.

The second condition states that Ford must report a minor crime, incident, illness or injury herself, but must use a third party to make contact on her behalf if there is a genuine reason for the call.

In addition, if any contact is being made with an emergency service, Ford must not use foul, offensive, abusive or threatening language or make false claims.

Ford rang the ambulance service 391 times between June 9, 2017 and June 9, 2018 and 75 times between November 20, 2018 and January 17 this year.

She called Essex Police more than 261 times between August 1, 2018 and January 17 this year, and more than 146 times between February 8, 2018 and August 7, 2018.

This does not include calls she also made to the non-emergency number 101.