Police officers in Wantage and Abingdon were handed high-tech gadgets today in a bid to keep them on the streets for longer.

Hand-held BlackBerry communication devices are being rolled out by Thames Valley Police to allow officers to answer calls, receive emails and check the database on suspects while on patrol.

Officers in Oxford and north Oxfordshire are already on the beat with the gadgets.Thames Valley Police has spent £792,000 on kitting out 1,100 police officers and police community support officers with the technology.