POLICE are to be armed with a camera system that will help catch wanted criminals as they move around Darlington.

The automatic number plate recognition system will be paid for with a £200,000 Home Office grant.

A pilot scheme in Bradford has already proved very effective and helped to catch and thieves who stole a Securicor van.

The cameras keep a database of the licence plates of wanted vehicles and automatically recognise the cars as they pass, alerting police.

The police hope to co-operate with Darlington Borough Council so the cameras can be integrated with the council's network of security cameras. This is under negotiation.

The scheme is just getting off the ground and the exact numbers and locations of the cameras in Darlington, and other parts of County Dur-ham, has yet to be decided.

However, the police say the system will provide a vital tool in their crime fighting artillery.

Project manager Inspector Dave Hammond said: "They can help with any crime, the boundaries are endless we just have to make them work.

Inspector Brian Maudling, of Darlington police's community safety unit, said: "Without a doubt, these cameras will help us to catch more people.

"The idea is to reduce crime and gather intelligence, for example of drug dealers. They will help us spot patterns and we can then stop people. There will be all sorts of uses."

At present, the police have a mobile system that works in a similar way but the new cameras will be in fixed positions, covering some of the county's busiest roads.

Every police force in the country, including the British Transport Police, has been given the £200,000 grant to buy the cameras. This means forces can also work together on a countrywide basis during searches.

However, the Government has not paid for the running costs, which will have to be met locally.

Police forces have been told they must have the scheme working within 12 months, or they will lose the money.