TWO North-East police forces are teaming up to provide a new training regime for 'rookies'.

Durham has joined Northumbria to introduce a new training format, the Initial Police Learning and Development Programme, due to start in April.

Under a national shake-up of the way recruits are introduced and developed, the existing Durham site of the police training body, Centrex, will close at the end of March.

Although Centrex will continue to exist as an advisory and co-ordinating body, individual forces will have the responsibility for training recruits during the first few months.

The new system, devised after several months of planning, is believed to offer a blueprint which other forces could follow.

Classroom-based learning will take place in buildings previously leased to Centrex, alongside force headquarters, at Aykley Heads, Durham. It will be staffed by qualified training officers from both forces, headed by a chief inspector from Durham.

While some forces have opted for a more academic approach, emphasis in the new Durham/Northumbria regime will be on practical, 'on the job' training.

About 250 first year students, 180 from Northumbria and 70 from Durham, will start the new programme from April.