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Metropolitan Police

Police ask mobile users to ignore urban myth that dialling 999 boosts phone battery

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By Gillian West, Social media manager

August 29, 2013 | 1 min read

Police have urged mobile phone users to ignore an urban myth which suggests calling 999 charges their phone battery.

Derbyshire Police have revealed that they have received several phone calls from mobile users who believed dialing the emergency helpline would power their handset as they’d heard that calling 999 from a mobile and then disconnecting boosts battery.

A spokesperson for Derbyshire Police said: “There is no way any mobile phone battery can be boosted by anything other than a normal charger.

"We have received several silent 999 calls recently which have turned out to be people who are trying to get more charge on their phone.Every time we get a silent or aborted 999 call we have to spend time ringing that person back to ensure they are safe.

"That takes up valuable time which could be spent dealing with a real emergency.

"We’re appealing to anyone who hears this myth to ignore it and not waste their time or the time of emergency service personnel."

Metropolitan Police

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