VIDEO suites are being installed in four County Durham police stations to speed up criminal investigations.

The equipment will allow police to hold an identification parade within two hours of an investigation being launched.

Durham Constabulary will invest £120,000 in setting up the equipment in Bishop Auckland, Darlington, Durham and Peterlee.

The move is in line with a national trend to move away from traditional identification parades, which usually comprise a row of volunteers and one suspect.

The equipment means a parade can be prepared and organised within minutes and viewed on a computer screen, saving time, money and the anguish of witnesses.

The system will meet national standards, follow strict procedures and will be linked directly to a central bureau in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. Suspects will be taken to the suite to be photographed and the image will be stored on computer.

Similar subjects, from the 8,000-plus photographs already stored on the central database will be added to the line-up, which will be transmitted to Wakefield for authentication.

Witnesses can view the line-up on a computer or laptop screen, which can be done from the homes of elderly or vulnerable people.

The system, known as Viper, will cater for all nationalities. Other forces already using it have reported a 40 per cent positive identification rate, compared with 18 per cent using live parades.

Assistant Chief Constable Ron Hogg said existing facilities in the four divisions were inadequate and the cost of the system would be recoverable from the Home Office.

Acting Inspector Chris Thompson, of the Bishop Auckland division, said: "It will work around-the-clock so has the potential to reduce the time spent on investigations considerably and enable us to complete a parade while a suspect is still in custody.

"Obviously this reduces the risks associated with them being released on bail and one of the most important benefits is that to witnesses.

"Although the subjects of a live parade do not see the witness the procedure can still be quite intimidating."