The home secretary has announced plans to reduce the burdens on police officers by improving the use of technology.

Reforms such as the introduction of a video system to replace the traditional police identity parade were set out by David Blunkett during a visit to North Yorkshire on Thursday. The plans follow the publication of research into the typical working day of a police officer.

The "diary of a police officer" was commissioned by the government to gain a greater understanding of what a "typical" shift for a police officer entails. Researchers carried out in-depth interviews with 100 police officers and studied the day-to-day workloads of a further 378 constables who were asked to keep a diary of their daily duties.

The research showed that the average constable spends 43 per cent of their time in the office, and of that time 41 per cent was spent completing paperwork. Officers told interviewers that they were spending too much time on bureaucracy.

Just 17 per cent of police officers' time was spent on patrol and the time spent taking a prisoner into custody could vary between two and eight hours. In one force there were 105 different forms in regular use, the report said.

The study has led to a number of recommendations to enable officers to concentrate on the "core issues" of catching criminals and reassuring the public.

A package of reforms will see the introduction of a video-based system to replace the traditional suspects' line up. The system, which has been piloted by police in West Yorkshire, is expected to help reduce the £14 million a year costs of organising parades. Around half of all parades have to be cancelled because of a lack of suitable participants.

The new system will utilise a database of 20-second filmed footage of people to which shots of the suspect can be added. The reform will require alterations to the police and criminal evidence rules, under which ID parades are currently only permitted in person.

There will also be a change in the law to allow civilians to act as police station jailers and prepare cases for prosecution.

"The use of civilians in custody roles and the introduction of prisoner handling teams to which officers could hand over those charged with less serious offences would free up the equivalent of an additional 2000 officers a year," said Blunkett.

The home secretary also announced that a new taskforce will examine other proposals, such as whether police officers should cease to be responsible for missing persons inquiries, lost pets and lost property. It will be headed by Sir David O'Dowd, who is retiring as the chief inspector of constabulary at the end of the year.

The taskforce will also examine ways to deter repeated false intruder alarms, improving handover briefings between shifts, sharing best practice to cut down on time wasted and whether officers scheduled to attend court, who often wait several hours to be called, can be placed on duties close to the court.

"I am committed to removing bottlenecks in the system and the measures I am announcing today to free up officers' time are just the start," said Blunkett.

"Police officers are highly trained professionals with wide-ranging powers and skills. It is right that we should use them to concentrate on their core functions reducing crime, catching criminals and providing reassurance," he added.

The Liberal Democrats any moves that would allow the police to spend more time on the beat. The party's home affairs spokesman, Norman Baker, said "we welcome any move to keep skilled police out on the beat, while civilians take over the paperwork".

Baker also said the use of video-based ID parades needed to be proven.

"A video-based system would obviously ease time and cost burdens. However, there is no substitute for a witness being able to see a suspect in person and for as long as they need. Any proposals must be trialed and proven conclusively to be beneficial before we go down this road," he said.

The government aims to announce its proposals for police reform in a white paper later this year and introduce a Police Bill early in the 2002, and has already said it plans to introduce better training, improve police use of science and technology, modernise police regulations and all terms and conditions of employment.

Both managers and officers will gain from a more flexible system, argues the government.

The Police Negotiating Board, the statutory negotiating forum for police pay and conditions of service, is already examining proposals that would see the introduction of more flexible working arrangements and the more efficient deployment of officers.