POLICE have mounted a major crackdown on travelling criminals following a spate of robberies in the county.

Today officers throughout East Lancashire began an operation codenamed 'Guard' targeting criminals using the county's roads.

Police will use automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology to pinpoint vehicles that may be driven by crooks. The cameras read number plates and relay the details to a database that matches licence plates to stolen vehicles, or motoring offences such as no tax or insurance.

Firearms officers, motorway police and the constabulary's helicopter are also committed to the operation.

Police remain convinced that robbers from outside the area committed this week's bank robbery Darwen as well as others in Carnforth and Eccleston. Interception teams will be deployed in areas known to be used by travelling criminals and on the motorway network into the county during the operation.

Superintendent Clive Tattum said: "The robberies this week clearly highlight the problem of these travelling criminals. They come into Lancashire with the sole intention of committing crime and as often as not have little thought for the people they encounter. All too often they terrify those unfortunate enough to get in their way and in one case this week left one of our officers injured.

"All evidence points to criminals travelling from neighbouring counties and we are working closely with colleagues from Greater Manchester and Merseyside and sharing intelligence in our joint efforts to tackle the problem."

A gang broke into Darwen's Abbey bank in Market Street on Tuesday, threatening Securicor staff with machetes as they filled up a cash machine.