RESIDENTS whose sleep is ruined by noise from a North-East police spotter plane have been told their suffering should soon be over.

The droning from the twin- engined Islander plane has brought complaints over the years, particularly from people living at Middleton St George, near its base at Teesside International Airport.

After years of delay, modern silencers and new propellers are now expected to be fitted to the aircraft later this year.

This will reduce engine noise by up to 40 per cent, easing the suffering for people on the ground, and allowing the plane's crew to talk to each other without having to use handsets.

The Islander is jointly operated by Durham, Cleveland and Northumbria police forces.

The delay happened because the company which builds the Islander, Britten Norman, went into receivership last year.

A new company, the B-N Group, has been formed and it has restarted trials on a new propeller and silencer.

The trials have to prove to the Civil Aviation Authority that the equipment is successful, and not hazardous to the flight of the aircraft.

Mark Wilson, head of flight engineering, said he hoped the equipment could be installed on the plane later this year.

"It should make a significant difference to the noise emitted from the plane," he said.