Dubai Municipality has launched a helpline to prevent the spread of rumours, it was reported on Monday.

The emirate wants to limit the spread of unhelpful rumours and misinformation that circulate on social media channels and elsewhere, according to Emirates247.

The service has been named ‘Certainty News’. Members of the public can call 800900 and ask for confirmation of a particular news item they have seen, and further information about the story.

A committee has been set to handle the calls, and various government departments have been instructed to respond to any query by providing the relevant information.

Dubai Municipality has reportedly claimed queries will be dealt with within an eight-hour timeframe, in order to rectify false news as quickly as possible.

Emirates247 quoted Khalid Ali Bin Zayed, director-general of Dubai Municipality, as saying rumours are arising and spreading faster since the rise of social media networking sites.

Often people fail to verify the story and inaccurate information is disseminated.