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Staff at scandal-hit G4S boosted performance figures by making hundreds of fake calls to a 999 centre run by the firm.

Five employees have been suspended after allegedly making more than 1,000 “test calls” – many reportedly at quiet times when they could be picked up quickly.

Without them G4S would have missed key targets of answering 92% of calls within 10 seconds in November and December 2015, so incurring a financial penalty.

Shadow police minister Jack Dromey said: “Emergency response times can mean the difference between life and death – yet call data appears to have been manipulated for financial gain.

"Time and again G4S have let down the public.”

Staff made an average 37 test calls a month to the Lincolnshire Police emergency control centre from January to September last year – but it rocketed to 724 in the last three months of the year.

(Image: Rex)

Without the test calls the firm would have hit the 10-second target just 90.2% of the time in November and 89.2% in December.

John Shaw of G4S said: “At no stage did their actions put the public or police colleagues at risk.”

A whistleblower uncovered the case in January.

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The Crown Prosecution Service said there is no evidence of criminal activity at this stage.

Suspended staff will be jointly grilled by G4S and Lincolnshire Police.

G4S signed up to run the centre in 2012 in a deal worth £200million.

It comes months after staff at G4S-run Medway youth offender centre in Kent were suspended amid allegations of severe mistreatment.

Last year G4S was criticised after one of its sub-contractors painted the front doors of asylum seekers red.