Lancashire Constabulary is starting a six-month mobile data trial to help save time for officers on the beat.

The pilot programme will give 300 staff pocket computers so they no longer have to go back to the station to write up reports or make database checks.

The trial is being run by supplier O2 Airwave the company is responsible for rolling out to all UK police forces, using both the £2.9bn tetra-based radio network, and the O2 GPRS network, depending on which application is being accessed by the user.

The system uses a 'mobile applications gateway' (Mag) to allow users to access multiple applications including the Police National Computer and local databases such as the offenders' register and the electoral roll.

A key benefit will be the efficiency gains. Home Office figures suggest only 38 per cent of officers' time is spent on the beat. If the new system works, they will no longer have to go back to the station to update logs or file reports.

The speed of access to information will also be improved. For example, a PNC check currently takes two to three minutes, as officers have to radio a sergeant at the station to perform the check for them. Using a handheld computer to do the check directly will take around 10 seconds, says O2 Airwave.

When a name check is run through the PNC via the Mag, it will also automatically be checked against other information sources. The officer will then be offered prompts about further information that is found, which can be used to help verify if a suspect is giving their true details.

If the trial is successful the scheme will be rolled out to all 1500 Lancashire Constabulary staff.

'The system is intended to make officers more efficient,' says Jeff Parris, vice president of Airwave mmO2, the parent company of O2 Airwave.

'It should save about an hour per shift, which is a 12 per cent improvement in the time spent out with the public.'

The supplier will be looking at usage patterns and data volumes and concentration as part of the learning exercise of the trial, said Parris.