THE fire strike is pushing the region's police forces to the limit, police authority members warned last night.

Officers are taking emergency fire calls and helping soldiers get to life-threatening incidents, as well as doing their everyday duties.

Jails are so full that police custody suites are being used as makeshift prisons, with duty sergeants taking on the role of warden.

Forces are under pressure from the Home Office to meet strict targets in combating street crime and this week Prime Minister Tony Blair warned police to be on red alert in case of a terrorist attack.

Yesterday, at a Cleveland Police Authority meeting, members said the situation was disgraceful.

"We seem to be moving from one crisis to the next," said Teesside magistrate and authority member Alf Illingworth.

"If it is not the Home Office, it's the fire service, and if it's not the fire service, it's the prisons.

"We can't even arrest and detain people who are committing crime on our streets - the situation is unbelievable."

Thirty-eight officers from Cleveland Police are dedicated to fire duties during the industrial action.

On Wednesday night, a squad car and two officers accompanied each of Teesside's nine 1950s Green Goddess fire trucks to call-outs, including nine hoaxes, after police responded to 49 emergency calls.

Additional hours are being done as overtime or on officers' days off, and the police authority will claim the cost back from central Government, via the fire service.

But resources are also pushed to the limit as prisons struggle to cope with overflowing numbers of inmates.

Durham Police said they were facing the same problems but were coping with the pressures, and this was echoed by the North Yorkshire force, who are acutely aware of the terrorist threat.

They have been on heightened alert since September 11 as there are two American radar listening posts - Menwith Hill and RAF Fylingdales - in their area.

Acting Deputy Chief Constable Bryan Bell, of Cleveland Police, said he was confident the force could cope in the immediate future.

"In the short term it will not impact on our operations, but if this goes into the winter it may end up doing so," he said.

"Things could be squeezed if there was some kind of major incident, but I am confident we will have the capacity to attend and we will deal with it as best we can."