Surrey County Council expects to save up to £300,000 over the next three years after launching a new system to conduct criminal record checks.

Each year, the council carries out up to 10,000 CRB checks for all jobs involving individuals working with vulnerable people.

Completing the checks online instead of on paper forms means waiting times for results have been cut to just a few days. Under the previous paper system, it could take up to six weeks for a check to be processed.

Surrey County Council’s cabinet member for change and efficiency, Councillor Denise Le Gal, said: "Value for money is at the heart of everything the council does and introducing this system saves a lot of time and cash.

"It speeds up the whole process for staff and job-seekers alike while saving local taxpayers up to £300,000 and is another great example of the council’s willingness to embrace technology to improve services."