A 999 operator has been sacked after failing to properly log the desperate call of a young mum as she was being murdered.

Joanna Michael, 25, rang for help twice as her ex-boyfriend savagely attacked her in the early hours while her two young children screamed.

But the first call handler did not take enough details and as a result the call was downgraded.

A screaming Joanna managed to make a second call on her mobile phone 14 minutes after the first – but the line went dead.

Police did not arrive at her home until 22 minutes after her initial call – and found her dead from 22 stab wounds.

The IPCC launched an investigation into the case and slammed two neighbouring forces for failing Joanna.

Two 999 call handlers – one from Gwent and one from South Wales – were disciplined after the Independent Police Complaints Commission probe.

A Gwent Police spokeswoman said: "Following a disciplinary hearing, a Gwent Police call handler was dismissed from her employment with immediate effect on the grounds of gross misconduct.

"The family of Joanna Michael has been informed of this decision and our thoughts remain with them at this time."

South Wales Police said their call handler had been disciplined – but not fired.

Joanna's ex Cyron Williams, 19, is now serving life after admitting the murder in August last year.

The IPCC said confusion arose because Joanna's home in St. Mellons, Cardiff, was on the border between the neighbouring police forces of South Wales and Gwent.

Tom Davies, the Commissioner for Wales, said: "Joanna, her children and her whole family have all been let down.

"Joanna was failed by the two police forces at an organisational level with their policies, training and communication systems between the two forces.

"She was further failed by the actions of the two individual call handlers dealing with her request for help.

"Joanna rang the police because she needed urgent assistance and was denied timely help because of a fatal combination of technological and human errors."

The IPCC said Joanna made her first 999 call at 2.29am.

The Gwent Police call handler graded it as requiring an 'immediate response' – but took insufficient details.

At 2.31am the South Wales police call handler downgraded the call as needing a 'priority response' – ie within a target time of an hour – as a result of the poor information forwarded by the Gwent operator.

At 2.43am Joanna made a second 999 call – again routed to the Gwent control room – in which she was screaming and told the operator she was in St Mellons before the line was cut off.

At 2.45am Gwent Police told SWP about the latest call and the SWP control room operator upgraded the incident at 2.46am as requiring an 'immediate' response and two officers were immediately despatched to St Mellons.

At 2.46am a member of the public called 999 and was also misrouted to Gwent Police. They told the operator there was a domestic dispute at Joanna's house and they could hear children screaming.

At 2.49am a member of the public called and was put through to the Gwent Police control room and told them that somebody had been stabbed at Joanna's address. Gwent Police called for an ambulance and again alerted SWP.

At 2.51am SWP officers arrived, five minutes after the call was upgraded to 'immediate response' to find that Joanna had been murdered.

Commissioner Mr Davies added: "The simple fact is, that at 2.29am when Joanna called 999 an immediate police response could have got to her house in five minutes.

"Because of all the various failings the emergency response did not arrive until 2.50am, when she had already been stabbed, probably at about 2.45am.

"The IPCC cannot say that an earlier response would have saved Joanna's life.

"For all we know if the police had attended Joanna's house at 2.35am Williams may have just waited until the officers had left before resuming his murderous intentions.

"What we can say for certain is that more could and should have been done for Joanna, who was denied the opportunity for a prompt response which may have led to a different outcome."