The mobile phone app that police call a "life-saver"

Cumbria Police say that a new mobile app could be a "life-saver".

What3Words is hoping to do away with the postcode and instead allow app users to pinpoint any location on earth- using just three regular words.

The app divides up the globe into nearly 57 trillion 3m x 3m squares and gives each square a unique three-word address, for example, 'thinks, exact, issue'.

The coordinates then link through to a GPS map, providing directions to the location.

The app founders hope that one day instead of giving out an address people will instead give out three words.

The three simple words will then be able to help police in the region to find someone's exact location if they are in trouble or distress. The aim is to improve response times and ultimately save lives.

Cumbria Police say the app could be a "life-saver" and are encouraging people to find out more about it.

But what if the caller doesn't have any data on their phone?

Geordie Palmer, from What3Words, said: "The app works offline so you can find the three word address of where you are without a data connection.

"If you don't have the app then what the forces do is send you an SMS with a link to the map site to find your location, in this scenario you would need data to get that three word address."

Like any new technological advancement, the success of the app - here and elsewhere - relies on awareness and people using it.