South Yorkshire Police received an emergency call every 12 seconds during the busiest part of New Year's Eve 2019

At the peak of demand for police on the night of New Year's Eve the South Yorkshire force was taking a 999 call every 12 seconds.

That spike lasted for 15 minutes - between 1.15am and 1.30am on New Year's morning - but through the night call centre staff at Atlas Court were dealing with more than two 999 calls every minute, on average.

Police will present the latest statistics to South Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, Dr Alan Billings, as they provide an update on the force's performance.

The statistics provide an insight into the weight of demand police can face at peak times and a report to Dr Billings states: "Performance around these volumes is already being scrutinised and built into plans for next year."

Most recent figures, compiled in December, show the force now takes an average of 783 emergency 999 calls each day, up from 777 on previous statistics.

Meanwhile, non emergency 101 calls were down slightly from 1,074 to 1,065 each day.

More positive is a reduction in time taken for call handlers to speak to callers, which is down to seven minutes and 22 seconds when the switchboard is open, from a previous figure of ten minutes and 25 seconds.

When the switchboard is closed, callers get to speak to a call handler quicker still on average - in five minutes and 18 seconds, which is barely half the previously recorded figure of ten minutes and 27 seconds.

The report states: "The challenges generated at Atlas Court are not isolated to SYP and are replicated across the country with demand on the police increasing both in terms of volume and complexity."

A new £12m computerised call handling system is now operating and managers with expertise from private sector call-handling have been brought in to manage Atlas Court.

A review of how staff operate there has been ongoing and a business case to improve the situation is being drawn up.