We use redshift determinations and spectral analysis of galaxies in the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey to study the properties of local radio sources with S \geq 1 mJy .
557 objects ( hereafter called the spectroscopic sample ) drawn from the FIRST survey , corresponding to 2.3 per cent of the total radio sample , are found in the 2dFGRS catalogue within the area 9 ^ { h } 48 ^ { m } \mathrel { \hbox to 0.0 pt { \lower 3.0 pt \hbox { $ \sim$ } } \raise 2.0 pt \hbox% { $ < $ } } { RA } ( { 2000 } ) \mathrel { \hbox to 0.0 pt { \lower 3.0 pt \hbox { $ \sim$ } } % \raise 2.0 pt \hbox { $ < $ } } 14 ^ { h } 32 ^ { m } and -2.77 ^ { \circ } \mathrel { \hbox to 0.0 pt { \lower 3.0 pt \hbox { $ \sim$ } } \raise 2.0 pt% \hbox { $ < $ } } { dec } ( { 2000 } ) \mathrel { \hbox to 0.0 pt { \lower 3.0 pt \hbox { $% \sim$ } } \raise 2.0 pt \hbox { $ < $ } } 2.25 ^ { \circ } , down to a magnitude limit b _ { J } = 19.45 .
The excellent quality of 2dF spectra allows us to divide these sources into classes , according to their optical spectra .

Absorption line systems make up 63 per cent of the spectroscopic sample .
These may or may not show emission lines due to AGN activity and correspond to “ classical ” radio galaxies belonging mainly to the FRI class .
They are characterized by relatively high radio-to-optical ratios , red colours , and high radio luminosities ( 10 ^ { 21 } \mathrel { \hbox to 0.0 pt { \lower 3.0 pt \hbox { $ \sim$ } } \raise 2.0 pt \hbox { $ < $% } } P _ { 1.4 { GHz } } / { W Hz ^ { -1 } sr ^ { -1 } } \mathrel { \hbox to 0.0 pt { \lower 3.0 % pt \hbox { $ \sim$ } } \raise 2.0 pt \hbox { $ < $ } } 10 ^ { 24 } ) .
Actively star-forming galaxies contribute about 32 per cent of the sample .
These objects are mainly found at low redshifts ( z \mathrel { \hbox to 0.0 pt { \lower 3.0 pt \hbox { $ \sim$ } } \raise 2.0 pt \hbox { $ < $ } } 0.1 ) and show low radio-to-optical ratios , blue colours and low radio luminosities .
We also found 18 Seyfert 2 galaxies ( 3 per cent ) and 4 Seyfert 1 ’ s ( 1 per cent ) .

Analysis of the local radio luminosity function shows that radio galaxies are well described by models that assume pure luminosity evolution , at least down to radio powers P _ { 1.4 { GHz } } \mathrel { \hbox to 0.0 pt { \lower 3.0 pt \hbox { $ \sim$ } } \raise 2.0 pt% \hbox { $ < $ } } 10 ^ { 20.5 } { W Hz ^ { -1 } sr ^ { -1 } } .
Late-type galaxies , whose relative contribution to the RLF is found to be lower than was predicted by previous works , present a luminosity function which is comparable with the IRAS galaxy LF .
This class of sources therefore plausibly constitutes the radio counterpart of the dusty spirals and starbursts that dominate the counts at 60 \mu m .