INFRA-RED cameras are to be used to catch travelling gangs of car thieves across the North-East.

Equipment, which can instantly recognise the number plates of stolen or target vehicles, will soon be watching key roads in the region.

If a suspect car is spotted by the electronic eye an alarm is sounded, alerting police patrol cars in the area.

Backing up the infra red camera is a data base holding thousands of suspect registration details.

The equipment is being used by Cleveland Police in a four- week campaign, designed to increase pressure on car thieves. It is to be taken up by the Northumbria, Durham, North Yorkshire and Cumbria forces.

The cameras can be used day and night, irrespective of weather conditions.

Detective Inspector Neil Fox, of Cleveland's Organised Crime Unit, said: "The system was developed to monitor the movements of vehicles used by major criminals but is ideal for an operation like this.

"We know who the criminals are and they will be targeted.

"If they make a move, we will know about it and there should be no hiding place for them.''

The technology breakthrough is a major boost for Operation Outlaw, the biggest anti-vehicle crime initiative ever carried out in Britain.

There have been more than 62,000 vehicle crimes in the North-East in the past year