Operator, Whitehall 1212, and hurry!

Whitehall 1212 was the famous telephone number of Scotland Yard. It was introduced in 1934 and was used by the public to contact the London Metropolitan Police information room for both emergency and non-emergency business. With the introduction of the 999 number for emergencies in 1937, Whitehall 1212 (dialled as WHI 1212) remained in use for non-emergencies until the 1960s and the introduction of all-figure numbering. Today the non-emergency number for the Metropolitan Police force contains the 1212: 020 7230 1212.