POLICE officers in Cheshire have been armed with a new tool to help them stay in the field longer.

Microsoft Surface 3 tablets have now been fully rolled out to 1,675 officers across the force, enabling them to work more flexibly.

The roll-out has helped to keep officers on the streets while enabling them to work more efficiently and is part of the Digital Policing Programme.

Supt Matt Welsted, who is leading the Digital Policing Programme, said: "The roll out of Windows 10 tablets will underpin our position as an outstanding police force.

“Officers can now spend more time out on the streets whilst also doing some of the many other tasks required of them.

“The digital world is a tremendously fast-moving area, but the move to Windows 10 tablets puts us in a great place both now and in the future."

Key aims of the project are to make policing more effective and further protect the safety of communities across Cheshire.

The Surface tablets enable officers to capture digital evidence and upload statements without having to head back to the station.

This helps to speed up investigations and improve the quality of evidence gathered whilst helping officers do more with their time and spend more time working out in communities.

David Keane, Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “The full roll out of the tablets is a positive step in ensuring we have a police service fit for the future and illustrates investment in technology that supports our officers in the community.

“The tablets will support the efficiency and effectiveness of our police service and I will be monitoring how our investment in new ways of working is allowing officers to spend more time in, and connect to our local communities.”

PC Pete Cole, the business ambassador who has been leading the project, said feedback so far has been ‘hugely positive’.

He said: “There are lots of stories being fed back about how much time officers are saving and how they are able to work in different locations and gain instant access to important information right when and where they need it.”