Revellers who have one drink too many over the festive period can scan public posters with their mobile phones in order to book a cab home.

The technology-savvy system is part of a new council-backed safety campaign being run by Wandsworth police in a bid to tackle illegal cab drivers.

The posters are targeted at women who find themselves in potentially vulnerable situations when trying to get home from a night out during the Christmas and New Year party period.

The posters will be put up on the backs of toilet doors in pubs, bars and clubs in Battersea, Putney and Tooting.

They contain barcode-like QR codes, which smartphones with free-to-download QR-reading software can scan using their built-in cameras.

Once the data has been read, the phone will automatically load up a Transport for London travel web page, which provides details about licensed taxi and minicab firms in the area.

Detective Sergeant Angela Davies, of Wandsworth police, said: “With Christmas and New Year’s celebrations around the corner we want to remind party-goers, especially young women, to do all they can to look after themselves on nights out.

“Anyone who is worried about getting home safely can use the QR code on these posters to find a reputable and, most importantly, licensed taxi or minicab firm.”

Councillor Jonathan Cook, Wandsworth’s community safety spokesman, said: “This poster campaign makes accessing travel information at any time of the day or night as easy as pointing and clicking.

“We hope – by taking advantage of this technology – this increasingly popular method of accessing online information simply and quickly will be used by revellers who may have had one too many and need help getting home from a trustworthy source.

“We do not want to see party-goers, particularly young women, putting their personal safety is at risk when looking for a way home.”