POLICE officers in Preston became the first force in the country to pilot a new radio system to help in their fight against crime.

The new Airwave radios went live on Monday and is the first step towards officers on the streets having a "virtual office" clipped to their belts or fixed in their vehicles.

All forces throughout Britain are expected to switch over to Airwave by the time the current analogue radio frequencies go out of use in 2005.

In the future, Airwave will be developed to deliver a whole host of information by linking in to police databases and displaying the information on their screen.

Police chiefs believe the new system will make a big difference to officers.

The new radios will provide:

100 per cent coverage across the country -- even inside buildings.

Full encryption to avoid eavesdropping on police transmissions.

An emergency button so that officers can summon help quickly.

Chief Superintendent Bernard Lawson, whose officers were the first to have the new technology, said: "The fact is, officers can't wait to get their hands on these new radios.

"It is like taking away a clapped-out fifteen-year-old car and replacing it with a brand-new Jaguar. The difference is immense.

"Our staff know this will really help them to fight crime effectively, to stay in touch with each other and the public and to stay safe."

It is not the first time that Lancashire has led the way in radio development.

In the early 1960s, the Constabulary's Radio Branch pioneered the use of the personal radio for patrolling officers.

By 1964 the new scheme had been extended across the country.