POLICE forces across the country are urging people to download the What3Words app to help locate them in an emergency.

Emergency services have praised the app for its ability to provide precise locations anywhere in the world.

North Yorkshire Police Road Policing Group are one of the latest forces to highlight the benefits. 

They tweeted after using the app to reach a man whose car had turned onto its side.

The app works by dividing the whole globe into three metre squares, with each one allocated a unique three word address.

For example Buckingham Palace is fence.gross.bats while the Tower of London is heads.guides.hunter.

Once the app is on your phone, no internet connection is required for it pinpoint the location and provide the three words which will tell somebody else exactly where in the world you are.

The three word addresses are as accurate as GPS coordinates.

A spokesman added: "What3words addresses are accurate to 3m x 3m.

"They are easier to say over the phone or radio than GPS coordinates and less prone to human error."

You can download the app or find out more by clicking here