A REVOLUTIONARY police IT system has finally launched after a three-year delay, winning almost £7million from the Home Office.

Essex Police's Athena has been one of the most successful bidders for the Home Office’s Police Innovation Fund.

The system should help police to better investigate crime, support victims and reduce threats.

It relies on using the best, most accurate and most up to date information on alleged criminals.

Information is linked between forces and records created allowing different forces to share information more quickly.

It means more access and more information on offenders.

The Athena consortium of forces includes Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Kent.

Several other police forces now aware of the advanced capabilities of Athena are close to joining the consortium.

Nick Alston, Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex, and chairman of the new Police ICT company, said: "This is excellent news for the Athena Programme and a recognition by the Home Office that the Athena system will deliver a seamless and integrated modern policing system that not only links systems within a force, but across all other participating forces.

"I have no doubt that Athena will improve police efficiency and greatly enhance the service and protection provided to our communities.”

Operation Athena was originally due to cost £32million, split between forces but cost more partly due to the cost of using other systems during the period it was delayed.

It was supposed to be ready in 2012, rather than 2015.