Police in the northeastern Netherlands are suffering "catastrophic computer problems", according to a police chief's letter leaked to the media.

Superintendent Peter Jaap Aalbersberg wrote to a national police umbrella organisation that there is a crisis situation affecting eight regional police forces. "Malfunctioning computer systems are blocking the arteries of my organisation", Mr Aalbersberg wrote.

Individual officers have been asked to keep operational police records on their home computers. Police stations are turning away members of the public who want to report a crime, arguing that their computers don't work or take ages to process the information.

Similar concerns were voiced by the policemen's union, ACP, which collected complaints and critical observations about the information technology used by police. Interior Affairs Minister Guusje ter Horst wrote to the lower house on Tuesday saying that the cause of the computer problems had not yet been established, and announced she would order an independent inquiry into the IT problems.

© Radio Netherlands Worldwide