Increasing numbers of people are contacting the police through their online service.

The ClickB4UCall campaign was launched by Hertfordshire Constabulary in January for members of the public to report non-urgent crimes or suspicious activity through their online portal.

The option to report crashes a driver has failed to stop and a vehicle has been damaged without anyone getting hurt has been launched.

After being introduced in June, 25 drivers have already reported the issue using this method.

Assistant Chief Constable Jane Swinburne, who is the Constabulary’s lead for Public Contact, said: “The number of people using our online options is encouraging and we expect these figures to continue to increase as time goes on.

“Our online reporting facility is a great alternative for people wishing to contact us about a non-urgent matter and many will find it more convenient to get in touch with us online rather than picking up the phone.

“The service you receive online is exactly the same as the response you get when dialling 101 with the same police staff in the Force Communication Room dealing with both communication channels.

“By choosing the online option where appropriate it also frees up our busy call handlers so that they can focus on dealing with 999 emergency calls.

“However, I would like to stress that in an emergency, this is where there is immediate threat or danger or a crime is in progress, you should always dial 999 so that we can get a response to you as quickly as possible.”

People are advised to still use 999 if there is a threat of danger to a person or property, a crime is in progress or a serious incident that needs police attention.

The online service or 101 number should still be used if things have been stolen or damaged but the crime has already happening, if there is a suspicion of drug dealing.

Those who are deaf or hard of hearing should text 07786 207091 for crimes in Hertfordshire or textphone/Minicom 18001 101.