Police rapped over £1.5m computer gadgets

Hampshire Police Authority has approved the purchase of 159 mobile data terminals (MDTs) which will be fitted to the force's patrol vehicles.

The devices will allow officers to access applications that run on their desktop computers while away from the station.

But to finance the purchase and the training of 1,000 officers, the police authority will borrow approximately 1.5m, to be paid back over a five-year period.

A Taxpayers' Alliance spokeswoman said: "While we want to see police adapting to better working practices that will get them out of the office and back on the streets, it is worrying that the police are borrowing money for this scheme. What would really help to free up police time and save money is less bureaucracy and less paperwork."

A spokesman for Hampshire Police Authority said that they expected to see benefits worth up to 2.1m per year gained by extra time spent by officers on patrol.

He added it would enable officers to reduce unnecessary journeys to police stations to complete administrative tasks.

Hampshire Constabulary plans to axe 1,400 posts in order to reduce its budget by 70m to meet Government cuts of 25 per cent.