Decoy car to trap thieves

The decoy cars will be fitted with remote control devices

Thieves are being tempted by decoy cars which will be left on the roads of Essex by police.

Cars will be fitted with high-tech equipment which will allow police to watch, track and seize control of them.

Police will know immediately if the cars are broken into or driven away and be able to monitor their movements, location and speed.

Remote control technology also means police will be able to take control of the decoy cars in a scheme which is said to be the first of its kind in Britain.

Warning posters

Detective Sergeant Andy Richardson said: "Unlike a traditional car chase, the odds are stacked completely against the thief who, whenever police decide, will find they cannot control the stolen vehicle and certainly cannot escape capture."

Posters warning thieves they could be stealing a decoy car will be put up in Harlow, where the cars are being introduced next week.

The idea has been developed from a similar scheme in Minneapolis in the United States and if successful could be extended across Essex and the rest of the country.

Last year more than 2.6 million privately-owned vehicles were targeted by thieves and joyriders, according to the British Crime Survey.