A NEW video suite that could speed up criminal investigations is to be created in Darlington police station.

The hi-tech equipment, capable of staging an identification parade within two hours, is to be installed in the Darlington station as part of county-wide move.

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

The move in is line with a national trend to move away from traditional identification parades, which usually comprise of 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 anguish for 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 new suite to be photographed and the image 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 is transmitted to Wakefield for authentication.

Witnesses are then able to view the line-up on a computer or laptop screen, which can be done from the home of the elderly or vulnerable.

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 to 18 per cent using live parades.

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

Acting Inspector Chris Thompson, of the Bishop Auckland division, added: "It will work round-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 of that to witnesses.

"Although the subjects of a live parade do not see the witness, the procedure can still be quite intimidating. This will reduce that anguish."