POLICE have issued a new non-emergency number to be used when the main switchboard number is engaged.

Insp Bill Dowling told Marlborough town councillors on Monday that the Wiltshire force main switchboard number (01380) 722341 is frequently engaged because of pressure of demand.

The alternative non-emergency number is (01380) 735735 although Insp Dowling told Marlborough Town Council that in emergencies 999 should always be used.

Insp Dowling also asked telephone callers to be patient and not to complain if their call does not result in the instant arrival of a police officer.

Responding to questions from councillors about recent incidents he said: "What it's all about is that we really cannot be everywhere at the same time as much as we would like to be.

"When people ring up for help they always get a response."

Insp Dowling, the Marlborough sub area police commander, said: "We have only 22 officers and three sergeants to cover 155 square miles so the coverage is pretty thin to say the least."

He stressed that all emergency calls would get an instant response.

Coun Richard Allen said he was concerned that a young Marlborough man who recently rang 999 when he had been struck by an air gun or catapult missile claimed he had been told he should not have used the emergency number in the circumstances.

Insp Dowling said senior officers had listened to tapes of the telephone conversation between the caller and the switchboard and added: "We are happy with the way that call was responded to."

Answering a question from Coun Marian Hannaford, Insp Dowling said the recently arrived CCTV vans were being put to good use.

He said: "Technically they are very good and if the van is at one end of the High Street its camera can pick up an incident at the far end."

Insp Dowling added that part of the purpose of the CCTV vans was as a deterrent.

Coun Hilary Cripps asked if police were responding to emergency calls within the allotted times. Insp Dowling said 90 per cent of calls from within the town were dealt with within the ten minutes permitted in urban areas.

Newly released crime figures showed that Wiltshire is an even safer place to live than previously, Insp Dowling said. In the past Wiltshire was the second or third safest county in the country but was now firmly in second place.