Crime reduction 

How to report malicious and nuisance calls

Report malicious/obscene calls

Making a malicious or obscene call is a criminal offence. Don't suffer in silence - report malicious or obscene phone calls to the police.

• If you have received several malicious calls in a short space of time, or believe that the calls are related to other criminal activity, please call 101. This is the 24-hour Thames Valley Police non-emergency number.
• If you believe that you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999.

Various laws can be imposed against people who make malicious calls or send malicious messages. If calls are severe and persistent, then prosecutions can be made under harassment laws. The chances of prosecution and higher penalties increase where offences are made more serious by other factors, such as racism.

In cases where psychological harm to victims has been severe, callers have been charged with causing actual or grievous bodily harm.

Report nuisance calls

Nuisance calls can often be resolved without the police having to get involved.

• Call the Nuisance Call Bureau - 0800 661 441.
• Call the BT advice line - 0800 666 700 - you will hear a recorded message which runs 24 hours a day.
• Or call your phone service provider.

If the nuisance calls persist and you believe that the calls could be related to other criminal activity, or if they cause the victim particular distress, the police may consider investigating them as potential harassment.