Handheld computers for handymen have been put to the test in a bid to speed up council house repairs in Oxford.

The city's executive board has approved the introduction of new technology for its housing repairs unit, Oxford Building Solutions (OBS), to provide a faster service for its housing tenants.

The computers speed up the process by eliminating several hours of paper work. Information can be typed directly into them and then instantly transferred to a desktop computer.

The information can then be sent electronically to other departments, outlining work that needs to be done and its urgency.

Bill Baker, the deputy leader of the council and executive member for OBS, said: "The systems used by the council are out-of-date and are too often letting tenants down.

"By introducing new technology, like hand-held computers, we can streamline the repairs service, improve responsiveness, and therefore dramatically reduce the time tenants have to wait to have their repair work completed."

In the New Year, the council appointed Kendrick Ash Ltd, a service management company, to review the operations of OBS.

The council was increasingly concerned at overspending by the OBS to the tune of £1m a year.

A key recommendation of the consultants was that the council should introduce new systems and technology into OBS to improve productivity, not only to keep costs down but to deliver a better service.

In March, the council set aside £500,000 over two years to invest in OBS improvements.

The unit is now running a tendering exercise to purchase a new repairs management system.