More than 7,500 hoax calls were made to police and ambulance services in Somerset over the past three years.
A freedom of information (FOI) request to police and ambulance services reveal that between August 2015 and August 2018, 5,800 hoax call were received by Avon and Somerset police, and 2,165 malicious calls were made to South Western Ambulance Service (SWAFST).
Ken Wenman, chief executive of SWAFST, believes people are being put at risk by the malpractice.
He said: “Making hoax calls can put lives at risk.
“We strongly encourage parents to impress upon their children the importance of only dialing 999 in a genuine emergency.
“It is vital people understand the consequences associated with making hoax calls.”
To crack down on the problem Avon and Somerset Constabulary have launched a new Twitter account @ASpolice to encourage people to think before calling.
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