MERSEYSIDE Police is revising its response to alarms at commercial premises in a bid to make the best use of resources.

The force responds to 30,000 alarm calls each year, which account for 30 per cent of all emergency calls and the majority receive an immediate response. But 96 per cent turn out to be false alarms, and only 2,250 calls are genuine.

Deputy Chief Constable Michael Baxter said: "Officers are often rushing to an alarm call only to find out it has been falsely activated and they may be taken away from responding to a genuine emergency. By concentrating on genuine calls, we can improve service delivery".

False alarm calls at business premises can be due to faults on the system, inappropriate use and lack of training for staff. DCC Baxter added: "We have consulted with businesses and partner agencies during the review of the alarms policy. We are urging all businesses to ensure alarm systems are regularly checked, are in good working order and that all staff are fully trained to use them".

Businesses where alarms are regularly activated unnecessarily over a 12-month period will be contacted and given advice on improvements. If the problems persist, an immediate response to the alarm may be withdrawn until improvements are carried out to reduce false calls.

From October this year, new alarm systems will be required to include up-to-date technology to make them more effective and provide safeguards against false calls.