Police officers have met with planners to press their case for a new radio communication system which will require 30 new masts installed in rural parts of the Lake District,

The new Airwave system, which is being introduced across the country, will improve emergency cover in the countryside, but will require 60 new masts in Cumbria, with half of those falling within the Lake District National Park Authority.

At a private meeting last week officers from Cumbria Constabulary met with LDNPA members and officers to explain the benefits of the new system.

He said he understood the need to protect the environment, but added that planners needed to appreciate the Airwave project was a public safety issue, and would be crucial in providing an improved emergency radio network for the police and other emergency services.

The authority currently has 43 outstanding telecommunications applications, 11 of which are for the Airwaves system, which is due to go live in Cumbria at the start of 2004.