CLEVELAND police have no need to be lost for words from now on.

New equipment means communications centre staff will be able to help non-English speakers in double quick time.

Speakers of about 60 non-English languages who phone the police can be linked up with an interpreter in about half a minute.

Staff at the Ladgate Lane HQ can then take part in a three-way conversation with the caller and interpreter and deal with any police-related matters including 999 calls.

Officers on the streets will also carry a pocket book label with details of the service in case they need it to help residents with little or no English.

Communications director, Supt Peter Dale, said: "This new facility will enable us to provide a comprehensive service to people experiencing difficulties and who need police help but who are disadvantaged because of a language barrier."

The service uses the latest technology and is available from landlines, mobile phones and coin-boxes 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Community-based officers have teamed up with social services departments and organisations working with refugees and asylum seekers to raise awareness of the new scheme.

Scheme co-ordinators hope that even if a caller can only manage to identify his or her nationality in English, they will quickly be able to connect him or her with the relevant interpreter.

Communication staff will get help in identifying some of the languages they are likely to encounter so they can help them quickly in cases where the caller has no English.