HEALTH and safety bosses at Wiltshire College have ruled staff working alone must be tracked by satellite to ensure their safety.

The personal GPS trackers allow staff to send an SOS text message to three programmed mobile numbers if their safety is put at risk.

It will be used by staff who work on their own in the community.

Wiltshire College, which made 86 redundancies earlier this year after being faced with a £3m cut in government funding, said it would not disclose the cost of the satellite scheme.

Jean Evans, Warminster Enterprise Centre manager, said: “I am often here on my own in the evening and these new devices give me added reassurance that I can remain safe at work.”

A spokesman for the college said: “In commitment to staff safety we are pleased to announce GPS trackers.

“The tracking system is a pilot and will be a requirement for three staff. It will be rolled out to other colleagues as required.”