AN ABUSIVE caller bombarded the emergency services with pointless calls.

Michael Gibson breached his criminal behaviour order 30 times from his Brighton home.

The order was meant to stop him dialling 999, except in a genuine emergency.

He was first arrested back in July 2014 after “deluging” the police and ambulance service, and was then abusive to police and paramedics who attended to him.

But now he has been jailed for 16 months after continuing to harass the call handlers operating the 999 lines.

He was arrested for breaking his bail conditions in April this year, and was found in possession of two mobile phones, which he had been banned from owning.

The unemployed 50-year-old from North Road in Brighton appeared for sentencing at Lewes Crown Court.

Sarah-Louise Gliddon from Sussex Police's Force Contact, Command and Control department, said: "People who persistently make nuisance calls to the emergency services place an enormous strain on the system and potentially block genuine calls needing immediate life-saving responses.

"Gibson continued to make these calls even after being arrested on a number of occasions, even after having a CBO placed on him and even after the efforts of several support services to help him deal with his problem.

"This sentence sends out a clear message to people who persist in plaguing emergency call-handlers with their nuisance calls that their anti-social and possible life-threatening activities will not be tolerated and will be punished."