WHEN people phone the police they are not ringing to pass the time of day.

If they dial 999 it's self evident that calls are quite likely literally to be a matter of life or death.

But at the same time, many of those phoning their local police HQ will also have matters they consider urgent to talk about.

And there is nothing more frustrating than having to hang on the line listening to constantly repeating automated messages apologising that there is nobody available to take your call - or worse, having to endure endless snatches of music.

Over the past couple of years, police reorganisation and a central communications set-up has brought problems in the way calls were handled. People ringing found difficulty getting through and operators could not always tell how many callers were queueing up.

Now, recognising their responsibility to serve callers whose needs are more pressing than those of the customers of most businesses, police maintain that new technology across Lancashire has changed all that.

Last month they claim 97.8 per cent of 999 calls and 87.4 per cent of other calls were answered in ten seconds and our own unscientific random checks yesterday appear to bear this out.

Hopefully, faster communication will help police to react more quickly and increased efficiency will be reflected in improved crime detection rates.