999 services down in parts of England, as police urge public to use 101 instead

The non-emergency number 101 is also experiencing problems, however

(Getty Images)

The emergency phone number 999 is down in parts of the east of England, police have warned.

The non-emergency number 101 is also experiencing problems and is now operating with a reduced service.

East Cambridgeshire, South Cambridgeshire and Cambridgeshire districts are some of the affect areas, while reports of neighbouring areas are also suffering with problems, which has been affected since 11am, according to police.

People who need the support of the emergency services are being told to keep trying to ring 101, but should only call for genuine emergencies.

In a statement, police said they expect the lines to be down for another couple of hours and assured people BT were working on resolving the issue.