Police officers will use internet video service Skype to answer questions about people they have arrested now cells in Watford have closed.

The closure of the custody suite in Watford Police Station will save the police force £350,000 a year. But in the last couple of months, hundreds of people arrested in the area have been driven to Hatfield.

Officers say it can take four hours to get there and complete all the paperwork, eating into time they spend on the street.

Police chiefs are introducing several measures to get officers back on their beats. These include paying two taxi companies to take people home from Hatfield and creating video links between police officers and custody staff.

Taxis will only be used to take “particularly vulnerable people” home but trips will cost in excess of £25.

Hertfordshire Constabulary's assistant chief constable Simon Megicks said: “The video links will mean officers can travel back to their beat and use virtual court-style video streaming technology on their smart phones to answer questions from the custody sergeant about the circumstances of their arrest.

“The taxis are not a universal service for anyone who is charged or bailed.

“For example, the decision may be made to call a taxi for someone who has learning difficulties. It will also depend on the time they are let out of custody.

“If we let a woman out at 3am and she did not have any money, it wouldn’t be right to leave her on the street on her own.

“I would much rather put someone in a taxi and make sure they are safe rather than call an officer back from Watford.”

Before suspects are put into the back of a taxi, custody staff ensure drivers are safe.

Shafiq Ahmed from the Watford Taxi Drivers Association said police should check the crime someone is accused of before putting them in a taxi.

He said: “If someone has done something bad, it could put the driver’s life at risk.

“We do not want their frustration of being with the police for a long time to be taken out on drivers. If they are a risk, someone of authority should be with them.”

Watford’s custody suite was initially closed in August while officers were trained on a new computer system. It was due to reopen this month. But it was closed it for good last Wednesday.

Mr Megicks added: “One of the problems with Watford custody was that you had to go down stairs from where you book people in to the cells. That is not only dangerous for our officers but also for people, who may at that time, be vulnerable.”

He added more money would have been needed to make sure the suite meets Home Office standards.