Police phone line rakes in £24k

The West Midlands Police force collects £24,000-a-year through its non-emergency phone line, it was revealed today.

Now critics are demanding the force switches to a service that is cheaper for the public.

The force pockets cash for calls made by the public to its 0845 113 5000 official non-emergency number, which earns it an average £2,000-a-month. It is especially expensive making a call to the number from a mobile.

A recent circular by the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) sent to forces throughout the country warned of "increasing public concerns over the use by the service of 0845 prefixed telephone numbers for non-emergency police contact". It pointed out those numbers no longer charge all calls at local rates and are now often more expensive than the traditional 01 and 02 numbers they replaced.

Campaigner Dave Lindsay, a 28-year-old security officer and computer expert, said: "It seems wrong that the police should be making money in this way.

"They have a captive audience because the only other number that can be used is 999, which is for emergencies."

The problem can be solved by replacing the 8 in the current phone number with a 3, putting it on a different tariff that would not allow the police to share revenue from the service. Essex police have just made the move and other forces could follow, although they would have to find money to pay for changes like reprinting stationery and altering the livery of vehicles advertising the present number.

The Acpo has warned that those who do not switch should drop any claim that their 0845 number is charged at local rate, and investigate the possibility of reintroducing the old geographically coded number that began 01.

The non-emergency line used by the public to contact West Midlands Police takes more than two million calls a year. Not all of these qualify as part of the deal that currently generates money for the force. The force said: "We are investigating various options although it should be noted that the 03 numbers are not yet widely available. The whole costs and benefits of the alternative arrangements will then be considered."

New figures also reveal the force spent £1m between April 2006 and March last year on private consultants such as management experts, financial strategists, market researchers and PR.

Bosses defended the cash payouts to private companies, saying consultancy fees included work around specialist areas which the force cannot provide. But Fiona McEvoy, spokewoman for the TaxPayers' Alliance, said more cash should be spent on actual policing. "Ordinary hard-working people pay taxes in good faith for front line police services and safer communities," she said.