A MOBILE app for Pokemon Go addicts is being used to try software that could save lives in disaster areas.

Westbourne-based app developer 3 Sided Cube has launched Locate em All, a free app which allows players to catch all the Pokemon they want and alert nearby users.

But its serious purpose is to test the company’s servers for an app which will alert people to life-threatening hazards.

More than 100 million people worldwide have downloaded Pokemon Go, an augmented reality game which sends users looking for virtual monsters in real locations.

Locate em All enables players to report when they have found a Pokemon and receive notifications when someone in their area spots one, as well as viewing a map of recent finds.

It was developed to test the company’s servers for a life-saving project with the Global Disaster Preparedness Centre (GDPC). The disaster app will allow people to report hazards such as rising floodwater.

Duncan Cook, managing director of 3 Sided Cube, said: “Locate em All is the brainchild of one of our talented developers, Ben. It came to him as a brainwave in a discussion about our latest project for the GDPC – that being, crowdsourcing hazard warnings.

“We are seriously excited about the potential of crowdsourcing within our GDPC hazards apps. It genuinely has the ability to save countless lives worldwide, by preparing the unprepared to potential hazards or natural disasters. So, we want to make sure that we have fully tested our servers to ensure a seamless integration.

“Being a bunch that think outside the box, we decided that we would test the process by alerting people of rare Pokemon sightings to make life a lot easier for players of the Pokemon Go App, rather than alerting people of natural disasters.”

He said the app had been developed in less than a week. By relying on 'people power' rather than on the programming interface of Pokemon developer Niantic, it has avoided problems that have seen other Pokemon Go apps shut down.

“To create an app in under seven days is massive and I'm really proud of the way the team have pulled together to get the job done to such a high standard,” he added.

Locate em All is available for Android devices through the Google store, while an iOS app for Apple devices is in development. Search for "Locate Em All - for Pokemon Go'.