POLICE have unveiled a new weapon in their car crime awareness campaign.

Officers in Pennine Division are using new technology to specifically target autocrime.

The Automatic Number Plate Recognition System (ANPR) is being used throughout the division to curb the behaviour of crooks on our roads.

Earlier this week officers were in Rawtenstall and Crawshawbooth using the innovative technology.

Video cameras mounted in marked police vehicles monitor passing vehicles and feed images into the ANPR system.

This will "read" registration numbers and check them against information in a series of databases.

Police are keen to stress the system will not be used to monitor speed. The system can read more than 1,000 vehicles an hour, identifying vehicles of interest, regardless of speed or how busy the road is.

In previous outings, the ANPR equipment has led to numerous arrests for various offences but during this particular blitz, car criminals will be targeted.

Speaking about the operation Sergeant Martin Bishop from Pennine's Road Policing Unit said: "The Automatic Number Plate Recognition system is a cost efficient and effective policing tool that improves our ability to enforce the law, prevent crime, and detect offenders. It is a vital tool for detecting all sorts of crime and in particular, for reducing the number of stolen vehicles."