GPS alarms for vulnerable people

Personal GPS alarms will be given to people at risk of violence

Domestic abuse victims in Buckinghamshire are to be offered GPS tracking devices.

Thames Valley Police said it hopes to dramatically speed up officer response times if the wearer becomes a victim of violent crime again.

Thames Valley Police and Buckinghamshire County Council are providing the special "buddi" devices.

They send a signal to a satellite, revealing a person's position to police within 10 metres.

How it works An emergency button is pressed Bucks police hotline is called A signal is sent every 15 secs

The alarms will be made available to victims of domestic abuse and also people described as vulnerable to honour-based violence.

The move has been welcomed by Buckinghamshire County Council's domestic abuse co-ordinator, Sue Moss who said it would "reduce the risk posed to victims and (help) them feel safer in their day-to-day lives."

The police and council are trialling five GPS systems in Buckinghamshire at a cost of £3,000 for six months.

Each retails at £299 and can report the speed that the wearer is travelling at and whether they have fallen.