LANCASHIRE police has set up a talking website to help people with special needs keep up to date with the force's news.

The facility, pioneered by Government organisations, is set to be widely used by people who are visually impared or for whom English is not their first language.

Users can choose how fast they want the words to be spoken and they can also use the feature to change the colour and size of the text on the page.

Police bosses say the feature will help help improve accessibilty to its website and keep people updated on activities and campaigns in the force by having the web pages' read out loud.

The new, built-in software, known as ReadSpeaker, will also help people with learning disabilities and dyslexia.

The constabulary's internet officer, Ian Singleton, said the major advantage to the system is that it did not require the user to download software or a plug-in so the service can be accessed everywhere such as in schools, libraries and at community centres.

He said: "This is a fantastic system to have on any web site and the benefit to users is invaluable.

"For the first time visitors to our site can easily access the information that they might not normally be able to read."

At the bottom of each page visitors to the site will find the "Read Page" icon.

By clicking the icon the site will automatically be converted to the system and text can be selected and read out by what the police say is a friendly voice.

The system is already live and can be used at any time.

ReadsSpeaker was created by Niclas Bergström and Fredrik Larssona to make the "wonder of the Internet" accessible for people with special needs.

It was founded in 1999 in Sweden. To date more than 400 websites all over the world have been speech enabled thanks to the technology.