Foot Fetish Fiend Racked Up £22k NHS 111 Bill with Bizarre Prank Calls
Richard William Cove, 45, of Worthing, has admitted making malicious calls to the NHS 111 service—racking up a whopping £21,869 bill and causing chaos for emergency staff. The buyer pleaded guilty at Worthing Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (10 August). Sentencing is set for 13 September.
NHS 111 Besieged by Bizarre Bogus Calls
NHS 111, the free helpline that provides urgent but non-emergency medical advice, found itself bombarded with fake calls over a two-year period. Between April 2019 and April 2021, the South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) received 1,263 calls from a single nuisance caller.
The caller gave false personal details and medical complaints, leading NHS staff to send ambulances on wild goose chases. The taxpayer-funded service was left footing the expensive and unnecessary bill.
Prank Calls With a Peculiar Twist
Each call shared a strange pattern: Cove would either use a handful of the same false addresses or disguise his voice to sound like an elderly woman. The bizarre chats often revolved around his own height and feet—before shifting to grilling NHS call takers about their feet.
PC David Quayle revealed, “He admitted making all the calls for his own enjoyment and personal benefit. He said he had a sexual foot fetish which he indulged during most of the calls.”
NHS Staff Felt the Strain
David Davis, SECAmb’s Head of Integrated Governance, slammed Cove’s antics:
“The impact of this individual’s actions should not be underestimated. Just one malicious and false call puts lives at risk by diverting our attention and resources away from people in genuine need of our help.”
He added that the calls caused “unnecessary distress” to hardworking staff doing their best to save lives.
Police tracked Cove down using his phone number and arrested him at his home. The case now awaits sentencing.
