NORTH Yorkshire police today set out the standards the public should expect as it deals with crime, road incidents and contacts from the public.

Response times for 999 calls and for attending incidents where there are threats to life are among the pledges set out in a new leaflet.

The new service standards, part of the ongoing effort to improve the relationship between the police and the public, state that all 999 calls will be answered within five seconds of receiving the call from BT.

And all incidents that require an immediate response - where there is an imminent threat of violence or a serious offence is in progress - will be attended by an officer within 15 minutes in urban areas and 20 minutes in rural areas.

Assistant Chief Constable Peter Bagshaw said: "As a force we expect, and indeed provide, a high standard of customer service.

"We have now formalised and published these standards so that the public can be fully aware of the level of service they can expect to receive."

Mr Bagshaw added: "I believe in general terms this will improve both understanding and customer satisfaction, and on those occasions we do not get it right, it will provide us with an opportunity to identify and address the issues raised."

The leaflets will be available from police stations, libraries and Citizen's Advice Bureaux throughout the country, and will be distributed by officers as they attend and investigate incidents.