New police call centres should make it easier for people to pass on details of crimes.

Two 24-hour police inquiry centres and two emergency control rooms will open later this year to replace the seven control rooms across Thames Valley.

Thames Valley Police aim to answer 90 per cent of routine calls within 15 seconds under the new system. The previous target was 70 per cent of calls within 20 seconds.

Police believe the two inquiry centres, at Kidlington and Windsor, should end stories from people phoning repeatedly to pass on details.

Non-emergency calls will be routed to 150 trained civilian operators. Insp Martin Elliott, chairman of the Thames Valley Police Federation, said the police inquiry centres would make life easier for the police and the public.

He said: "We know one of the main complaints is people being unable to get through to the police. The centralised control rooms have been successful but there have been a number of well-documented hiccups.

"We hope that will be rectified by these centres."

Last year, Oxford Mail reporters tried for half an hour to pass on details about escaped arsonist David Blagdon to Thames Valley Police after he telephoned the newspaper's offices.

Dep Chief Constable Paul West said: "It will give a much better service because the inquiry centres are open 24 hours, seven days a week."