POLICE in Launceston have issued advice to anyone needing to contact police in an emergency, who is in a situation where they are not able to speak.

In advice posted on the Launceston Police Facebook page, they urge 999 callers to listen carefully to the instructions of the BT operator, who will ask a question for an alternative response to indicate that police are required. This then gets routed to police.

There is also a way to register your mobile to text for emergency services — this service is for people who cannot make voice calls because they have a hearing loss or a speech impairment.

The emergency SMS service is an add on to the existing 999 and 18000 services that are available in the UK.

For more information on how to register your phone, visit www.emergencysms.org.uk