A POLICE force is breaking down language barriers.
Northumbria Police has used the National Interpreting Service, which offers 24-hour telephone access to interpreters, for 20 months.
Officers have used it 1,354 times for 53 languages.
Community safety officer, Sergeant Anne Allan, said: "This service has made a real difference to members of the public who do not speak English and who need help from the police.
"In an emergency the first few minutes can be critical in getting much needed practical help and to do this, we must quickly be able to assess the problem."
In one case, police helped a lost Czech mother and her child, who could not tell officers where they lived.
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