NEW communication centres are overcoming teething problems to deal with the increasing number of calls to a police force.

Durham's Assistant Chief Constable, Gary Barnett, said the two centres were handling a record number of police-related calls from across the county.

Communications rooms at Bishop Auckland and at the force's headquarters, in Aykley Heads, Durham, have replaced the previous system of calls being taken by staff at six divisional police stations.

Force chiefs believe the changes freed more officers for front-line duties, and were brought in alongside the introduction of Airwave, a new national digital radio network.

Early problems with the new set-up prompted complaints from the public, mainly from people suffering delays waiting to speak to operators.

Senior officers believe the system is now working well, given the ten per cent increase in calls requiring a police response.

Mr Barnett said: "We are getting more calls than ever before, and yet our staff and the new system have coped extremely well.

"People who ring 999 can expect their call to be answered, on average, in less than five seconds, a record among the best in the country.

"We cannot deny there have been some initial problems, especially relating to non-emergencies.

"But, we have taken a number of measures to improve matters, including the recruitment of more call-handlers and setting up a dedicated help desk.

"This uses experienced officers who can offer general guidance and advice on a whole range of issues."

However, Mr Barnett said that at peak times, callers may still face delays.

Calls in Darlington increased by 16 per cent in the past year, while the increasing ownership of mobile phones means that up to 20 people can ring the police about a single incident.

In September, 11 formal complaints were made by callers, 0.01 per cent of the total number.

The force said it now receives almost 74,000 calls requiring a police response each month.

Further improvements to the communication centre arrangements are expected next year, when a new system will provide operators with extra background information when a call is logged.