MALVERN police station will play a key role in a new Home Office trial.

West Mercia is one of just five forces across the country chosen to take part in the trial, which focuses on the visual recording of suspects' interviews.

Police interviews have previously been recorded on audio tape.

The new project will experiment with different ways of recording interviews on screen.

The £45,000 West Mercia project will involve recording interviews in Worcester. The tapes will be stored at Malvern police station in Victoria Road.

Funding for the trial, which is due to begin in February, comes from the Home Office and will be of no extra cost to the taxpayer.

Members of West Mercia Police Authority agreed to the trial, which will work in conjunction with similar police projects in the Metropolitan, Kent, Hampshire and Essex forces.