CIVILIANS employed by one of the region’s police forces will work for a private sector company from today in a tenyear deal worth £175m.

A contract was signed between Cleveland Police Authority and French company Steria earlier this year to cover support services, including computing, call handling and finance.

The agreement should save £50m over a decade to help protect frontline policing.

It also guarantees the existing employment conditions and pension rights of about 470 staff, with the promise of no compulsory redundancies.

Emergency 999 calls will continue to be handled from the force control room at its headquarters in Ladgate Lane, Middlesbrough.

A further 200 civilian staff will remain directly employed by Cleveland Police, as well as its 1,700 police officers.

Most Steria staff will be based at Surtees Business Park in Stockton, where the company has pledged to create more jobs in the future.

From today, it is launching a “call back” system to check how satisfied members of the public are with the service.

Dave McLuckie, chairman of Cleveland Police Authority, said he believed the new partnership produced “winners all round”.

“It means significant savings which can help protect front-line policing, safeguards for the staff affected probably better than any other group of workers in the area, and an improved service for the public,” he said.

John Torrie, chief executive officer of Steria UK, said: “This is a working example of how shared services can really deliver enhanced services when budgets are stretched and resources are challenged.”

Unison, the biggest union for police staff in England, campaigned to stop the privatisation going ahead on the basis that it was not in the best interest of its members or the general public.

Peter Chapman, North- East regional organiser for Unison, said: “We have over recent weeks built up a good working relationship with Steria.

“We recognise the significance of the guarantee of no compulsory redundancies.

However, time will tell if this will be deliverable.”