DEAR EDITOR - The report on the aftermath of the earthquake that hit the region quoted Cllr Bill Newnes (Lab - Catshill), who had complained that his attempts to call the emergency services on 999 were unsuccessful due to the number of calls being made by worried members of the public.

He seems to think that more capacity is required in the system to deal with such events. Perhaps he is under the illusion that emergency phone calls are dealt with on a local basis.

He may be interested to know that his 999 call along with those from people throughout Britain would have initially been routed through a call centre in Inverness. Given the widespread fear and panic engendered by the seismic event, it is little wonder that many people could not get through to the 999 service.

Allied to this matter, you have recently reported on difficulties experienced by residents with a Stourbridge address calling 999 only to be incorrectly put through to West Midlands police.

I have been assured that this cannot happen. The 999 service has a sophisticated database which can relate a telephone number to a specific postcode and hence to the correct police force area.

If anyone has difficulties in this respect I would like to hear from them so that I can once again take the matter up with West Mercia Constabulary.

Cllr Stephen Peters,

(Ind Con - South Wythall Ward),

Bromsgrove District Council.