23 July 2012 Last updated at 08:05 ET

Hampshire and Thames Valley scanners to cut road closure time

Roads and motorways will be reopened sooner, according to the police

Five new 3D laser scanners are to be used at crash scenes in Hampshire and the Thames Valley in a bid to reduce road closure times.

The devices produce a video "fly-through", still images and line drawings of the accident scene.

The scanners have cost almost £400,000 with the money provided by the Department for Transport.

A study by the Highways Agency showed they can cut the time a road is shut by up to 40 minutes.

Hampshire and Thames Valley Police (TVP), which have started sharing roads policing to save money, unveiled the devices earlier.

Gary Baldwin, from TVP's forensic collision unit, said: "This is using the latest technology to basically collect all the data that is left behind at a crash scene.

"Currently whilst we use some complicated equipment we have to physically measure every item.

"The advantage of this kit is it sends out measurements which are taken many thousands of times a second therefore this cuts the time down dramatically."

The devices are already being used by a number of other forces across the country.