MILLIONS of pounds is being invested to improve the 999 and 101 call services across the North Yorkshire Police force.

The region’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Julia Mulligan, has today announced that she is to invest more than £3 million into the York-based Force Control Room over the next two years.

The investment comes on top of improvements made last year, following a drop in performance due to a surge in calls.

The measures taken so far have resulted in the average time taken to answer a 101 call falling from three minutes 35 seconds in August to one minute and six seconds in February.

Now, in anticipation of a further increase in demand over the busier summer months, additional improvements will be made.

These include 32 additional full-time staff, new accommodation at Fulford Road in York for the larger team and improved training and tutoring facilities

Ms Mulligan said: “There was never going to be an overnight ‘fix’ to the issues, but the additional money raised by the recent increase in policing precept has allowed me to make a substantial investment in the 101 service, which I know is a number one priority.”