Wimbledon News

Alcohol-related 999 calls rise in Sutton and Merton

7:20am Monday 30th August 2010

Booze-related 999 calls for ambulances rose by more than 5 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 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, but I’d urge people to think carefully before dialling 999.

“Be sensible when you’re out drinking.

“That will help us to ensure 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.

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