Criminal behaviour order for Northamptonshire man who made repeated nuisance 999 calls and abused police call handlers

Andrew Sharpe, 38, of Easton on the Hill in the north of the county, has been making inappropriate or hoax calls to police since at least 2017 to both the non-emergency 101 number and to 999.

Between December 2024 and January 2025, Sharpe made more than 100 nuisance calls to Northamptonshire Police, sometimes up to 15 a night, diverting call handers away from being available to take genuine emergency calls.

An investigation into his actions resulted in Sharpe first being issued with a community protection warning (CPW) and then a community protection notice (CPN).

Setting out expected behaviour and the penalties for not abiding by the conditions, these escalating measures enable police to take action against people on specific issues.

In Sharpe’s case, the CPW and CPN made it clear he should not abuse the 999 system or make 101 calls unless he was making new and genuine crime reports.

Despite these measures, the 999 calls continued, with almost 40 recorded breaches during early 2025 resulting in him being charged with five counts of failing to comply with a community protection notice.

At Northampton Magistrates Court on July 22, Sharpe admitted the five counts, along with one count of persistently making use of a public communication network to cause annoyance/inconvenience/anxiety, and one count of using threatening/abusive words/behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress in relation to an incident in Easton on the Hill on July 21.

He was given a 10-week sentence, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to pay £170 costs.

Sharpe was also handed the five-year CBO which bans him from calling 999 except in a genuine emergency, and from contacting Northamptonshire Police by any means, including via 101, unless to report a new crime or incident, or for updates on previous genuine reports.

The order also sets out that he must not use abusive, insulting, threatening or intimidating language or behaviour to any member of staff working for any emergency service.

Speaking afterwards, Force Control Room Superintendent Pete Basham said: “Andrew Sharpe’s behaviour in making his hoax and inappropriate calls has been persistent and unacceptable and led us to apply for the CBO through the courts.

“Sharpe would often also be verbally abusive to the call handlers he spoke to, causing people unnecessary distress and upset.

“Being a call handler is a challenging and skilled role and we will take all available steps to protect our staff and the wider 999 service from those who seek to abuse and misuse it.

“I hope Sharpe heeds the terms of this CBO as there will be robust consequences to any breaches.”

He added his thanks to the force’s ASB civil enforcement officer, PC Gemma Cairns, for her work in securing the order.