Every week men and women across the North-East set aside hours of their time to assist the local police force. But this is no ordinary voluntary work - this is working on the front line. Kate Bowman reports.

THE last place I expected to be on a Saturday night was in the back seat of a police car - blue lights flashing, sirens blaring, racing through Darlington town centre at speeds wildly above the limit.

Thankfully for me, I'm not being escorted back to the station - although glances from people on the street suggested they thought otherwise - I'm out on patrol with Special Constables Dave Dean and Dave Sanderson, getting a taste of life with the boys in blue.

From the moment the shift starts at 2pm, the jobs came rolling in on the force's communication system, gradually getting busier as day turns into night. Some are home visits to reports of criminal damage, one to take details from a man who was badly assaulted while out drinking in the town centre the night before, and two are responses to emergencies - and by far the most exciting.

I was warned before leaving Darlington station to be prepared for a response call. The first comes while we are taking details from a family about some damage to their car. Before I could digest the message that came through on the police radio - linked to the control centre in Bishop Auckland - the boys had made their apologies to the family and were running out of the door and back to the car. As my door slams shut we are away - tearing across the town, slowing only to avoid those motorists who fail to see us in their mirrors or hear the deafening siren.

The panic call from a wine shop turns out to be a false alarm, but the experience certainly got my heartbeat racing.

Dave Dean, who's been a Special for 18 years, has responded to all kinds of emergencies: fatal road traffic accidents, deaths, assaults, domestic violence cases and burglaries.

He says: "I remember when I first started, the response calls really got the adrenaline pumping. You never know what to expect or what you are going to see when you get there. I've seen a few unpleasant things in my time. You are trained how to handle a fatal road accident, for example, but the first time you go to one it puts it into a different context. You know all the procedures but you don't really know what it is going to be like or how you will handle it."

After so many years as a Special, Dave is quick to talk about what he gets out of the time he puts in. "The victories don't have to be the biggest jobs in the world, it's not all about making arrests. Just knowing you have done something good, or made somebody's life a little bit easier, is what it is all about for me.

"I find it exceedingly rewarding. Yes, there is the blood and the guts aspect - and you see it all - but it's often the emotional side of the job and the feeling that you have made a difference that has a long-lasting effect."

Throughout the shift we meet people from all walks of life. We speak to a couple with learning difficulties who are being victimised by youngsters throwing mud at their windows, respond to an incident of domestic violence where children are involved. We speak to large groups of youths gathering on street corners and stop a motorist flouting the law.

The eight-hour experience conjures up a mixed bag of emotion: it is exhilarating, exciting, thought-provoking, shocking and upsetting. At times there is a feeling of pride that justice is being done, at others the glimpse into some people's desperate lives creates an overwhelming sense of sadness.

Nearing the end of the night we pick up a man who is stumbling drunk across the road. There are grounds for an arrest - he's a danger to himself and others - but instead we escort him to his home nearby. "He is safe and that's the most important thing," says Dave Dean.

But, as his front door opens, there are his two young children, their faces expressionless as Daddy struggles to stay upright. They don't seem shocked or scared to see him cowering drunkenly outside - too scared to go inside because Mummy is on the other side of the door with a telling look - they just stare at him, making me think that this is life as they know it.

The Specials have exactly the same powers as any other police officer and are highly respected in the force. They drive the same cars, carry the same batons, cuffs and CS sprays - and are not afraid to use them - and have the same powers to make arrests. The only difference is they give this service free of charge.

Dave Sanderson, 39, from Cockerton, Darlington, works full-time in an international company, has teenage children and leads a busy life by anyone's standards. But while others might cherish their spare time to relax and put their feet up, he has spent the past four-and-a-half years as a Special.

"I was very proactive with the beat officers in my local area and I saw that the police were under immense pressure. They mentioned to me about the Specials and here I am," he says.

'I see it as a commitment. Once I don the uniform I change. It is something that I am very proud of. You do have to be responsible and confident and able to make a decision and a judgement at crucial times, but much of this is instinctive."

Dave Dean adds: "It's about having common sense and people sense. I treat people how I would like to be treated or how I'd like my grandmother to be treated. It is all about us giving the best possible service that we can give."

Insp Tony McDougall, of Darlington Police, says: "Special Constables are invaluable - I cannot speak of them too highly - they do a fantastic job.

"Dave Dean is a superb Special, he gives up so much of his own time. He is very competent and I can trust him - I wouldn't hesitate putting him on a job."

* The Special Constables' initial training runs for 26 weeks at the force's headquarters in Durham. Anyone between 18 and 50 from County Durham interested in volunteering should contact recruitment officer Carol Oliver on (01325) 467681.