A BODY-CAM trial will begin in Essex next week.

Officers responding to calls about domestic violence will wear the cameras in an attempt to catch the culprits in action during a three month trial.

Chief Insp Nick Lee said: "The trial will use equipment already owned by the force, but will focus its use in a new way.

"We want to find out if video evidence will lead to more convictions for domestic violence and in particular cases where victims are too frighten to give evidence themselves”.

"Initially 80 officers will be given a body-worm camera and will be expected to have these turned on whenever they attend an incident of domestic abuse.

"The College of Policing will then look at the results of the video captured cases compared to those that have no video.

"This is a great opportunity for Essex Police to lead the way in evidence based policing and improve our approach to tackling domestic abuse.”

Nick Alston, Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex said: "For complex and varied reasons, victims of domestic abuse are sometimes reluctant to give evidence against the person who has caused them harm.

"Equipping officers attending domestic abuse incidents with body worn cameras means that evidence will often be captured automatically and directly.

"I fully support using technology to help ensure that there is no hiding place for those who commit domestic abuse.”