back to article Police and NHS urge British public not to call 101 and 111 non-emergency numbers after behind-the-scenes kit failure

The UK's 101 and 111 non-emergency telephone numbers are currently inaccessible by the public following a behind-the-scenes failure. Sources told The Register that a variety of phone numbers behind the system went down from around 13:12 BST (12:12 UTC). Numerous police forces from across the UK took to Twitter to ask the …

  1. MrMerrymaker

    Vodafone mess up again?

    I got downvotes last time I made a joke at their expense but boy, this really is shitty service.

    1. Chris G

      Re: Vodafone mess up again?

      If Vodaphone UK are anything like their Spanish arm, I wouldn't trust them with a couple of cocoa tins and ball of string.

    2. Brian Miller

      Re: Vodafone mess up again?

      Do you suppose they are still using relays and wire recording in their systems? Or maybe someone spilled their punch cards...

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Vodafone mess up again?

        The hamster fell off his wheel again!

        1. msknight

          Re: Vodafone mess up again?

          The hampster is probably following the rest of us in lockdown purgatory. It has likely developed an unhealthy addition to alcohol and that's what probably caused it to fall off the wheel. This was likely preceeded by a drop in power as the hampster lost momentum by running side to side, as if it was going home from the pub.

  2. katrinab Silver badge
    Meh

    Is 119 affected?

    That's the number you are supposed to call if you have coronavirus symptoms, to leave 111 available for people with other health problems.

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

    2. Danny 2

      Re: Is 119 affected?

      I never knew that. I doubt anyone I know knows that. The opposite of 911 would have stuck in my memory.

      Like most techs I itch to phone all the numbers just to test them in my region and report back here. I won't, I have thought that through, but I want to.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Cursed

    Theres a legend, "everytime someone in I.T misspells Yodafone, a little piece it breaks down"

  4. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

    Always the customer's fault

    Notice how it's "we understand some customers may be experiencing problems"

    The sort of language you expect from an understaffed call center, not what you expect from a vital emergency service admitting they fscked up

    1. IGotOut Silver badge

      Re: Always the customer's fault

      It's not an Emergency number.

      Just saying.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Single Point of Failure

    So why don't they contract with a second telecoms provider to cover this scenario? Take the money going to Vodafone, pay it to that second company, tell Vodafone you've taken what they should be paying in tax out of what they are being given.

  6. Claverhouse Silver badge
    Stop

    Well, well, well, what's all this then ?

  7. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge

    TITSUP

    If it were the 999 service...

    Total Inability To Summon Uniformed Police

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    They took over four months to cancel my account, kept attempting to bill me ridiculous amounts of money, didn't want the brand new router back and was told to just dump it!

  9. Demosthenes Locke

    Is it so very wrong that I want to connect to that Kent PD chat line and ask 'em how they're doing?

  10. Great Westerner

    Has anyone listed all the Police Forces and other services that have been affected?

    I can add Devon & Cornwall police to the list.

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