POLICE chiefs in the region have been handed £276,000 to halt a 52 per cent fall in the number of special constables.

Forces across the North-East have lost 645 volunteer officers in the six years since Tony Blair came to power, according to new figures.

Police will be told to spend the cash on specialist staff to recruit and train special constables and on measures to stop the volunteers quitting.

Every force will be expected to recruit an extra 75 specials over three years, to boost the number across the country to 14,000 by 2007.

But any force which wants to pay special constables a regular wage will have to do it from its own funds, the Home Office has said.

As a result, only three forces - Cumbria, Humberside and the West Midlands - have so far opted to set up trial payment schemes.

Both North Yorkshire (185, 51.1 per cent) and Northumberland (312, 58.4 per cent) forces lost more than half their specials between 1997 and this year.

And the falls in Durham (90, 48.9 per cent) and Cleveland (58, 36.2 per cent) were almost as severe, according to the Home Office figures.

Now Cleveland will receive £66,820 and the other three forces £70,000 each out of a £2.7m fund.

Hazel Blears, Home Office Minister, said: "Volunteer special constables are a crucial part of modern day policing.

"The skills, experience and local knowledge they bring to policing makes a huge contribution to the communities they serve.

"Some forces are more successful than others in recruiting and retaining specials, which is why we need to share best practice and help all forces."

A second recruitment weekend will take place on February 28 and 29, when forces will stage promotional events and specials will demonstrate their work.

Earlier this year, all forces were invited to apply to join a trial scheme to pay specials, but the Home Office ruled out making any extra cash available to fund the initiative.