Officers pounding the beat will soon be easier to get hold of thanks to an overhaul of Thames Valley Police's much-criticised handling of phone calls.

Callers who need to talk to a specific officer will be put directly through to their mobile phone or will be able to leave a voicemail message if he or she is busy.

The force's call handling has been strongly criticised by the public who have not been able to get a reply or relay a message.

Supt Keith Ringsell, of Oxford police, admitted: "The force recognises we have a problem with communication from members of the public to individual officers."

The force is spending £400,000 on mobiles. The communications shake-up is intended to boost the service offered to the public and allow police to spend more time on the beat. Police will no longer have to return to the station to pick up messages or make phone calls.

Supt Ringsell warned that officers would not be available to talk all the time because they may be driving or dealing with a crime.

Staff at the force's Police Enquiry Centres in Kidlington and Windsor will be able to transfer calls to officers. They will know if a specific officer is on duty.

By the end of next month, every officer in Thames Valley will have a new mobile phone with two lines -- one for work-related calls and another for personal use.

Officers will be able to phone in crime reports to PEC staff, cutting down on paperwork and bureaucracy.

Thames Valley Chief Constable Peter Neyroud said the initiative would enable incidents to be put on police computers two to three days faster. He added: "It accelerates the process of people being able to get into contact with an individual officer."