Police bridge checks on vehicles

Police also set up vehicle checkpoints as part of the operation. Enlarge Image

The number plates of 80,000 vehicles travelling into south Wales across the Severn bridges have been scanned by police to catch criminals.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) was used in Operation Utah Wales and West on Thursday.

More than 200 officers from four police forces were involved as well as workers from immigration, customs and benefits.

A total of 47 people were arrested for offences ranging from possessing drugs to vehicle theft.

Gwent Police along with the South Wales, Avon and Somerset and Gloucestershire forces used the technology to check every number plate of vehicles crossing both Severn bridges.

It allowed 3,000 number plates an hour to be checked against databases for wanted people, 80,000 on M4 at the second Severn crossing and 20,000 using the M48 across the old Severn bridge.

Police identified 453 vehicles as being suspicious with 93 being stopped and searched.

Police said they would look to repeat the exercise

A total of 47 people are being questioned for offences ranging from vehicle theft, possessing class A drugs, breach of bail, fraud and possessing an offence weapon.

Thirty vehicles and £8,000 cash was seized.

'Technology'

Chief Supt Lawrie Lewis of Avon and Somerset Police, in charge of the operation, said: "This is not a one-off.

"ANPR is a vital tool used day-in, day-out throughout the south west and Wales region and thanks to the success of today's operation, it is only a matter of time until we look to repeat it."

Supt Nigel Russell, of Gwent Police said: "This is an excellent example of how technology and traditional policing work together to deal with an increasing problem.

"Criminals are like everyone else in that they need to use the road network to ply their trade. By working with our neighbouring forces and partner agencies we will be able to show them that nowhere is safe."