POLICE in North Yorkshire are to start using new technology aimed at cutting the amount of time officers spend at crashes.

The 3D laser scanner can take images of the entire site of a collision, allowing them to be studied on computers at police stations, and North Yorkshire Police says it should mean fewer diversions and shorter road closures following an accident now it has arrived.

The force estimates officers will be able to spend 35 minutes less at crash scenes through using the scanner, funding for which came from the Department for Transport and the National Policing Improvement Agency.

Acting Sergeant Dave Foster, a senior collision investigator and one of five officers trained to use the equipment, said: “This is good news for the communities of North Yorkshire and York, as well as people travelling through the county, as it will allow us to reopen roads and motorways much quicker than before. It should help alleviate traffic problems and prevent long delays on our roads and also allow us to gather quality evidence, not just at the scene of collisions but at crime scenes as well.”

The scanner can produce video footage and still images and allow crash scenes to be viewed from any angle, as well as producing 2D line drawings which can be used as evidence in court cases.