Covert camera scheme proves a success

The cameras can be linked to CCTV

A new type of surveillance camera has proved a success in a Northamptonshire pilot scheme.

The covert digital cameras saw arrests increase tenfold during a year-long pilot scheme in Northampton.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) captures individual number plates on video at the rate of 3,000 an hour.

The plates are then checked against the Police National Computer and other databases.

It is an enormously effective policing tool which allows us to target known offenders

Assistant chief constable Derek Talbot

The Northamptonshire pilot saw six officers make 665 arrests, including 210 disqualified drivers and traffic offenders.

It also helped recover more than £500,000 of stolen property.

'Intercept teams'

Assistant chief constable Derek Talbot said: "ANPR technology, together with immediate follow-up police action via dedicated intercept teams, has the potential to deny criminals the use of the roads.

"It is an enormously effective policing tool which allows us to target known offenders."

The Home Office is piloting the scheme with a number of police forces around the UK.

A Home Office spokesman said the pilot schemes are running from September 2002 to March 2003.

The Home Office will then evaluate the schemes.