CALLS to Cheshire Police and other forces across the country on 101 are now free of charge.

Before yesterday, April 1, there was a 15p connection charge for members of the public who wanted to report a crime or provide information.

But the Home Office is now investing £7 million a year to meet connection costs for the service, making the calls free to the public.

David Keane, police and crime commissioner for Cheshire, said: "The charges that were in place to call 101 were creating barriers for some vulnerable people in our communities to access the vital service.

“No one should be charged for reporting crime or passing on intelligence to police so I’m welcoming the removal of this charge. It’s more important than ever that we’re connected with our communities and that our police service is accessible.

“However, I would like to remind people to only call 101 when it’s absolutely necessary – to report a crime or request an update on something they have previously reported – and to always call 999 in an emergency.

“With the current coronavirus crisis, Cheshire police is seeing its helplines under increasing pressure so I’d also urge those who can to report issues online – the Cheshire police website now has an easy to use reporting feature.”

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The move coincides with an increase in funding for Cheshire's call room as part of Mr Keane's new budget for 2020-21, which is expected to provide a better service for 101 and 999 callers across the county.

Some users on small phone networks may still be charged before July 1, but the Home Office will be urging those providers to refund their customers.