Police chiefs are trying to relieve pressure on their phone system this bank holiday weekend by asking people to contact the force online instead.

Non-emergency enquires to Dorset Police should be done via the website rather than calling 101.

And some issues are not dealt with by the police – flytipping, noisy neighbours and stray dogs for example are not police matters.

Dorset Police is issuing advice ahead of thousands of people expected to visit the county over the coming days, which will put pressure on the service.

A spokesman for Dorset Police said: “This can lead to a rise in calls to our 101 non-emergency number, which inevitably can impact on call waiting times people might experience when calling 101.

"So why call when you don’t have to? By visiting our website dorset.police.uk anyone wishing to contact us with non-emergency queries or reports can easily do so by using our online contact methods – Report Online, Request a Call Back and AskNED, making it easier and more convenient to ask or tell us something."

* Report Online - for reporting a crime or telling the police about something that’s already happened and it’s non-urgent. Fill in the details on the online crime reporting form (dorset.police.uk/do-it-online#report)

* Request a Call Back - complete the details on the request a call back form selecting the time period which suits you best, then wait for the police to call you

* AskNED - online directory which provides the answers to non-emergency questions. Visit dorset.police.uk/contact-us/ask-ned-how-can-we-help/enter your question, select your location and AskNED will provide you with the answer

* Alternatively queries and reports can be emailed to101@dorset.pnn.police.uk. The email will reach the force’s command centre and can be used for used to report all non-emergency crime and give the police any information about crime in your area

Jane Jennings, Head of Contact Management for Dorset Police, said: “We want people to have a good bank holiday and half-term, and we hope they don’t need to contact us, but if they do, and it’s not an emergency we would ask them to consider using the online methods available.

“We have many online ways to contact us which are easy to use and available 24/7, meaning people can contact us at their convenience and without needing to wait on the telephone.

“We realise that not everyone has access to the internet and some people would prefer to speak to a person but by encouraging people to use our online methods means we can manage our demand more efficiently and prevent long waiting times for people choosing to call us.

“We would also ask people to consider whether it’s the police they actually need to contact."