A NEW crime-fighting system is to be piloted in the region after trials elsewhere proved to be hugely successful.

The North Yorkshire, Cleveland and Northumbria forces are among 23 across the country that will be using sophisticated vehicle number plate readers.

Nine forces took part in the original six-month trial of the Automatic Number Plate Recognition system. It helped police to seize more than £100,000 in illegal drugs and to recover more than 300 stolen vehicles and £715,000 in stolen goods. More than 3,000 people were arrested - ten times more than the national average - with the majority of arrests being for serious crimes.

The system instantly scans number plates and matches them against information stored in databases to identify vehicles of interest to the police, such as stolen cars or those involved in crime.

When a suspicious vehicle is recognised it becomes the focus of targeted interceptions and inquiries.

In North Yorkshire the pilot is being led by Det Insp Ian Wills, who described the system as an invaluable tool in the fight against crime.

"Everyone knows that criminals use vehicles, and travelling criminals are a particular problem in North Yorkshire.

Using this equipment we will be able to target them specifically. Thieves, burglars and drug dealers will be high on our list of priorities," he said.

The evidence from the trials has already borne out police experience of strong links between road traffic offences and more serious crime. Fixed penalty receipts from offences detected through the new system will help to fund the further expansion of the pilot scheme.

The fixed penalty scheme for motoring offences has been extended, since Sunday, to include three additional offences - failing to supply driver details when required, driving without insurance and driving without an MOT certificate. There is also an increased penalty for failing to display a current tax disc.

Home Office minister Bob Ainsworth said: "This crime-fighting technology coupled with officers' local knowledge and experience, means vehicles are stopped in a more focused, intelligence-led way, so honest motorists are less likely to be pulled over by the police."