NEWS

Police are asking people to register CCTV and doorbell cameras so they can potentially request footage when needed to investigate crimes.

Devon and Cornwall Police said it had introduced a new digital media management system which would allow it to request evidence from businesses and communities across the force area.

The system, called NiCE Investigate, is currently used by 24 police forces across the UK.

Assistant chief constable Dave Thorne said he hoped the new process of collecting digital media evidence would "lead to faster results for victims of crime".

The force said businesses and members of the public could register the location of their recording devices on a community portal.

"When a crime is committed, officers can see if there are any cameras in the area that might have captured footage and request it by email," it added.

ACC Thorne said: "Since we started using NiCE Investigate in the summer, we have successfully completed over 1,600 business requests and 12,000 citizen requests.

"That's thousands of times that people have been able to submit their footage electronically instead of relying on CDs or USB drives.

"We're asking businesses and residents to register their cameras and help protect their communities. "

ACC Thorne added the force would not have access to cameras and any footage provided "is 100% voluntary".