POLICE officers will be able to communicate with each other and the outside world more easily thanks to a new hi-tech radio system.

The system will allow police officers to receive clearer communications and speak directly to members of the public without the possibility of being "scanned" by unauthorised users which can often happen at the moment.

All the radios will incorporate an emergency button to improve staff safety, various channels to allow separate "talk groups" to be set-up for specific operations and for one-to-one calls between the handsets without the need to go through a communications centre.

The radios are the first step towards the "mobile office" which will eventually allow officers to use them as telephones, pagers and data terminals as well as incorporating vehicle and person location to make more effective use of police resources.

The system, which has been part-funded by central government and costs £12.5m, will be introduced on a rolling programme with Bolton officers having access to the new technology on April 8 of next year.

Bury officers will be using the new radios by March 25 next year.

Greater Manchester Police's Airwave Project Director, Superintendent Duncan Poulton, said: "This new system will be state-of-the-art.

"It has the potential to increase our effectiveness dramatically and enable us to achieve real business benefits.

"The improvement in police communications will be like comparing a black and white television from 40 years ago with a modern digital one."