THE official launch of a new app to tackle crime in the city centre is expected to take place next month.

The Hereford Business Improvement District team have signed up to an app called DISC.

Mike Truelove, the operations and marketing manager for BID, said they have been working with the city's CCTV team, the Retail Radio group, HAND, the daytime and nighttime economy, the council and the police.

He said: "We are all working together to get this set up. It is going to really change how we share data between ourselves.

"Facewatch was the first stage. DISC is the successor and DISC offers so much more and makes the data really clear.

"It is an online system designed for use on a smart phone.

"There is a dedicated system for the nighttime economy and one for the day."

There will also be a regular newsletter sent out from the system.

Businesses who use DISC will be able to see who the current offenders are in the city or who has criminal behaviour orders against them, for example.

A new security administrator for HBID will be based in the office and 99 per cent of people will access the date via an app on their smartphone.

Mr Truelove said all of the date is protected and there will be rules and regulations to use the app.