Bride called 111 for stain solution

A Christchurch bride, panicked by a large oil stain on her new wedding dress, dialled 111 in a desperate plea for help.

Her call did not impress police trying to improve a 111 system swamped by thousands of nuisance calls.

The performance of police communications centres came under fire in May after a review found the system put public safety at risk.

Christchurch's Southern Communications Centre manager Inspector Kieren Kortegast said yesterday that he was pleased with recent improvements, which included new staff starting, but nuisance calls continued to cause problems. He said the bride was given "advice" and sent on her way.