Emergency services are preparing for their busiest night of the year, with alcohol-fuelled violence expected to put a strain on police officers and paramedics.

As revellers see in the New Year, 999 operators are likely to experience a dramatic increase in the number of calls they receive.

Superintendent Mark Kenny said: "New Year's Eve is always a busy night for us.

"We tend to see more emergencies including serious incidents being reported, with alcohol-fuelled violence being the largest demand."

Six BT call centres handle all the 999 calls from Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Northern England.

Ian Watson, BT's 999 manager, said: "Our busiest period of the year is from about 9pm on New Year's Eve to 3am on New Year's morning when we receive almost half a day's calls in just six hours, with a peak of up to 9,000 calls per hour."

Police forces are also warning people to only dial 999 in a genuine emergency as hoax or nuisance calls can waste valuable time.

BT call centres have reported callers ringing up to complain "the off-licence has closed early" or ask: "What time does Sainsbury's close?"

The Metropolitan Police are running a #ThinkBeforeYouDial campaign on Twitter designed to make people stop and think as to whether their call is necessary.