SPECIAL constables are threatening to leave a police force because they are being sent out on duty without radios.

Some part-time officers said they were going into dangerous situations with only their personal mobile phones to call for help. Others said they were being deprived of basic safety equipment, such as fluorescent jackets and body armour.

Northumbria Police said new equipment was being brought in as part of a "rolling programme".

Numbers of specials in the force have halved in the last five years, and the force admitted that there had been concerns about equipment for the specials.

The Police Federation said it was "amazed" officers were going out on duty without radios and body armour as this compromised health and safety.

A spokesman for Northumbria Police said: "We are replacing the radios across the force and in this transitional period some officers have been temporarily left without them. That situation is being dealt with."

He admitted that numbers of specials in the force had dropped from about 500 in 1998 to 250, although some of that was due to specials joining up as regular officers.