Police officers in Bedfordshire will be using handheld devices to check information while on the beat by February 2008.

The Blackberrys will enable officers to check a person's identity, vehicle ownership and previous convictions, as well as providing real-time access to key police databases.

'Officers are having to return to stations too much to check information,' said Bedfordshire Police Inspector Jim Hitch.

'Blackberrys will help get more police spending more time out on the beat,' he said.

The system will also give officers remote access to the Police National Computer (PNC), crime management system, intelligence database, warrants, Police National Legal Database (PNLDB) and a custom-built application which provides photos of missing or wanted people.

In the past, half of officers' time was spent in the station, and half of that time was spent accessing information through IT systems.

The devices have a government-approved level of encryption and the force can erase all information from any device from a central location.