FIVE people racked up 8,655 calls to the Metropolitan Police in 2017 – costing £70,000 to answer.
A watchdog for police forces in England and Wales released the figure to show how police have become the “default” service to deal with mental health.
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Service claims the broader mental health system is “broken”.
The Home Office said it was investing in mental health services and praised “police leadership” in the area.