I’M not surprised people desperate for help with mental health issues are calling the police.

To see an NHS counsellor in our area you first have to get an appointment with a doctor, ask for a referral, then wait two months to receive a letter with a phone number to call, to arrange for a clinician to call you at an arranged time for a half-hour conversation to determine what type of help you need.

Many people seek counselling for relationship problems, so finding a time when you are not at work and your significant other is not present could be very difficult.

Much easier just to call 999, especially if your feeling of desperation trumps the unethical nature of such a measure.

Fiona Crawford, Fulford, York