POLICE are pioneering a plan to help deaf people in Bury in an emergency.

Greater Manchester Police are circulating a special form to make it easier for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing and who have fax machines to contact the police urgently.

Apart from personal information, the form requests details of the incident so the police can assess whether or not it needs a high priority response. These responses could include a burglary being committed at the time of the call, the reporting of a child or vulnerable person missing from home or reporting a serious road accident.

Faxed requests would receive a reply within five minutes.

The idea for faxed requests was made by a Bolton police officer after his own experience with a hard-of-hearing victim.

The proposal underwent a trial period and, following consultation with the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, has now been adopted through the Greater Manchester area.

A letter and copy of the form are being distributed around the borough with the assistance of the local Social Services Department and other organisations involved with deaf and hard-of-hearing people.