PEOPLE with hearing defects can get a faxed response from Police.

GMP has pioneered a scheme to help the deaf or hard-of-hearing with emergency and non-urgent calls.

They are circulating special forms which will enable those people with a fax machine at home to get in contact.

Emergency calls include burglaries actually taking place at the time of the call, reporting a child or vulnerable person as missing from home, reporting a serious road accident where people were injured or calls where someone is in fear of immediate injury or other threat.

Non-urgent calls would include reporting thefts which had already taken place, missing pets, or minor damage to property or people causing a disturbance providing there was no immediate threat or danger.

The faxed requests will be received at GMP's Claytonbrook area operations room and a reply will be faxed within five minutes so the caller knows the matter is being attended to.

Textphone (Minicom) users can continue to use that equipment if they prefer.