Up to �500 will be on offer for officers who have to do things such as fingerprint bodies or negotiate in hostage cases.

The Northumbria force has held off implementing the national scheme because it wants civilian police staff to be eligible as well.

Jeff Donnison, of the Northumbria Police Federation, said they were not payments for "run-of-the-mill" duties.

Hostage negotiation

He said: "These payments are at the discretion of the chief constable and are meant for officers who have dealt with some serious situations, like the recovery for badly decomposed bodies, and other outstanding pieces of work.

"I wouldn't expect a great deal of these payments being made."

The scheme was first introduced nationally in April 2003, for occasional work of an outstandingly demanding, unpleasant or important nature.

Northumbria Police has only just introduced the scheme.

Mr Donnison added: "It is a minimum of �50 and a maximum of �500.

"The payments will come from the police budget where there is money from central government."