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Police criticise Mills' 999 calls Police criticise Mills' 999 calls
(about 2 hours later)
Lady Heather Mills McCartney has been criticised by police for making a "disproportionate" number of 999 calls.Lady Heather Mills McCartney has been criticised by police for making a "disproportionate" number of 999 calls.
Ch Supt Kevin Moore of Brighton police said there was a danger of further complaints not being taken seriously. Ch Supt Kevin Moore said there was a danger of further complaints not being taken seriously by his officers.
"People who make lots of calls to police run the risk of being treated as the boy who cried wolf," he said. Mr Moore said it was not his personal view that Lady McCartney was "wasting police time" but Sussex Police did get a high volume of calls from her.
A spokesman for Lady McCartney said she was a single mother who was nervous after getting death threats and who had been followed at night by strangers. A spokesman for Lady McCartney said she was nervous after getting death threats and being followed at night.
Mr Moore said his colleagues had dealt with four emergency calls from Lady McCartney in one 24-hour period.Mr Moore said his colleagues had dealt with four emergency calls from Lady McCartney in one 24-hour period.
Police 'duty-bound' We are duty-bound to respond Ch Supt Kevin Moore
"We are having to spend a disproportionate amount of time on one particular person," he said. He said: "We do have to respond to a disproportionate high volume of calls from Heather Mills McCartney because of the situations she finds herself, and this is regrettable as it takes officers away from other policing matters."
Officers who answer her 999 calls might not take any claims seriously, he said. "And that's the danger we face." But he added: "I hope my officers treat each call as seriously as they would do for anyone else contacting the police."
Mr Moore said: "We are duty-bound to respond, but clearly people who make lots of calls to police run the risk of being treated as the boy who cried wolf."
Death threats
The 38-year-old former model, who is divorcing ex-Beatle Paul McCartney, has complained of being followed by photographers near her home in Hove, East Sussex.The 38-year-old former model, who is divorcing ex-Beatle Paul McCartney, has complained of being followed by photographers near her home in Hove, East Sussex.
Her sister, Fiona Mills, has made an internet appeal for an end to what she called media harassment of Lady McCartney and her daughter Beatrice. Her sister, Fiona Mills, has made an internet appeal for an end to what she called media harassment of Lady McCartney and her daughter Beatrice, because of concerns for their safety.
Ms Mills said she was "deeply concerned" for their safety. Phil Hall, Lady McCartney's spokesman, said: "She is a single mum who has been very nervous about all the things that have happened.
Phil Hall, Lady McCartney's spokesman, said death threats made against her in December were being taken seriously by Sussex Police. "She has been followed late at night by people she does not know.
But after police criticism, he added: "The danger is that she will not call police in future and something serious will happen. What is she supposed to do?" "The danger is that she will not call police in future and something serious will happen. What is she supposed to do?"