A woman from Harrow, Greater London, has been sentenced to prison for making over 2,000 nuisance 999 calls in the last three years. Sonia Nixon, 56, used 17 different mobile phones to make these calls, with 1,194 calls made in 2023 alone. Her repeated calls cost the Metropolitan Police an estimated £4,500 within five months, impacting how quickly operators could respond to genuine emergencies.
Nixon was one of the top three repeat callers last year, and her calls included asking for food, the phone number of the Department for Work and Pensions, and shouting angrily about her belongings. She was arrested for 668 breaches of the Communications Act 2003 and charged for 670 offences. Additionally, she racially abused an officer and was further arrested for racially aggravated public order and criminal damage.
Last month, Nixon was convicted for 696 nuisance calls to 999 and four racially aggravated public order offences against emergency workers. She was granted a five-year Criminal Behaviour Order, restricting her from contacting 999 unless in an emergency and requiring workers to be alerted to any new calls from her.
Superintendent Matt Cray commended the community policing team for bringing Nixon to justice, stating that her actions had been a drain on resources and a menace on the streets. Abusive callers like Nixon cost the Met over £2 million and prevent genuine emergencies from being answered. The conviction of Nixon will help prioritize resources where they are truly needed and restore trust and confidence in local communities.