Police are encouraging people to download the life-saving app.

The tool is for use in an emergency and helps police identify quickly and effectively where a caller.

This app has now been adopted by Cumbria police.

What3Words is a service which has divided the world into three-meter x three-meter squares and given each one a unique three-word address

People can download the free What3Words app or go to their website for their exact location.

Superintendent Matt Kennerley said: “We’re enthusiastic about using the system because it has the potential to significantly reduce the time between an emergency call being answered and our officers identifying exactly where someone is.

“The What3Words system is now embedded into our control room so anyone calling 999 or 101 can immediately use it to give their exact location.

“It is particularly useful in Cumbria where we have rural areas where it may be difficult to explain verbally exactly where you are. It could be particularly useful to the emergency services in a situation where someone has got into difficulty whilst walking a fell or is involved in a collision on a stretch of the motorway.”

What3Words is free to download and free to use.

There are plans for the app to be uploaded onto the officer’s phones so they can use it to give an extremely accurate and swift location for where they are on the move.

Police and Crime Commissioner, Peter McCall, said: “This is a fantastic system for everyone who lives, works and visits Cumbria.

“Cumbria hosts a large number of visitors who travel from across the world to partake in hillwalking, lake swimming, fell climbing etc. and it’s a very easy landscape to get lost in.

“What3Words is a brilliant app that can really save someone’s life if they do not know where they are and are in desperate need of emergency services.

"And for those of us living in remote parts of the county where houses are often difficult to find it could help emergency services get to you quickly should you ever need them.

"I have this app on my phone it is simple to install and use, I strongly encourage everyone to download it - it might just save their life.”

Chris Sheldrick, CEO and co-founder of What3Words said: “We know that being able to use What3Words to identify locations for emergency situations is proving incredibly effective for services in the UK, with over 75 services, including Cumbria Constabulary, now using the technology.

“It’s fantastic to see the widespread stories of where we’ve helped people in need struggling to say where they are.”