The initiative put forward by Barnstaple policewoman Shaunaugh Cobb is now being taken up in other parts of the county.

Sixty North Devon officers from all sections of the police, front counter staff and traffic wardens have also been joined on courses by members of the fire service.

Now it is expanding to other parts of North and East Devon and could even spread across the Devon and Cornwall Force.

Those undertaking the courses will be able to tell deaf people their name and rank and provide basic reassurance in sign language when they attend incidents.

They will also be able to use sign language to explain to deaf people that an experienced translator will be on the way to help them at serious incidents.

WPC Cobb said that deaf people could have difficulty even in contacting the emergency services.

Educating officers in basic sign language did not mean they were qualified interpreters, but they could help communicate and calm people before an interpreter arrived, she said. They learned how to speak to people with hearing loss and display basic sign language.

"In such situations deaf people can feel very frustrated at not being able to communicate and perhaps wave their hands about. This could be interpreted as being aggressive. And if they were to be handcuffed, this would effectively be taking away their means of communication," she said. "The courses help to educate officers in dealing with the deaf community."

They were already working with the fire service and were hoping that other agencies in North Devon, such as the NHS, councils and bigger local businesses would also join in, she said.

North and East Devon BCU Diversity Manager, Sergeant Ian Kressinger, said: "We want to ensure that all sections of the community have equal access to police services. By communicating a few simple phrases to deaf people we will be able to provide help and reassurance if they are involved in incidents and gain their trust and confidence. We want to make sure that police can communicate effectively with deaf people and ensure that officers are aware of their needs."

Courses are being led by Mark Stocks of Bideford. He is a teacher at Chulmleigh Community College and teaches sign language in Torrington and at the North Devon College as well as being a committee member of the North Devon Deaf Children's Society.

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