POLICE officers are to be taught the art of "verbal judo" in groundbreaking courses to be held in Lancashire.

Staff from the defensive tactics team will host two special courses this month which will be attended by officers from forces including the Channel Islands, the RUC and the Isle of Man.

Spokesman PC David Peebles said: "The basic course teaches a set of communication principles and tactics which can be used to help resolve conflict.

"Like the martial art judo, verbal judo uses the energy of others to master situations.

"It teaches a philosophy for looking creatively at conflict in a way which can take the tension out of stressful and potentially dangerous situations.

"By employing these techniques, officers are able to give individuals a number of options which will allow them to make a choice."

Both two-day courses - the first to be held in the UK - will be run by Richard DeGroff, a corporal in the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office in Florida and a certified instructor in several defensive disciplines including batons, firearms and verbal judo.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.