Police unions have filed a formal complaint with the labour inspectorate over the state of their communications equipment in an escalating row with justice minister Dilan Yesilgöz.

Union leaders the C2000 network is not fit for purpose and is putting officers in danger by cutting out in the middle of operations or not making information available. In recent days they have compiled a list of incidents reported by officers in which the ‘unreliable’ system let them down.

‘The list runs to nearly one and a half sheets of A4, there are stories from all over the Netherlands,’ ACP spokesman Maarten Brink told AD.nl. ‘There are even officers who have called 112 because they couldn’t get through to C2000.’

The justice ministry has admitted there are ‘very serious’ problems with the C2000 system and it is working on a replacement, known as NOOVA, which is due to come into service in 2025.

But the unions are angry that the government is planning to renew the contract with C2000 for another two years and have called on the minister to find a stopgap solution.

Wim Groeneweg, chair of the ACP union, said: ‘For a policeman, communications equipment is almost as important as his firearm. If you’re not well armed, you can get into very dangerous situations.

‘We have been submitting complaints for years to the leadership and the minister, but it hasn’t helped, so we have no alternative now than to send an official complaint to the labour inspectorate.’