DORSET Police carried out a day of action on Tuesday to deny criminals the use of the roads.

Using the Automatic Number Plate Recognition Technology (ANPR), a team of 96 officers from Dorset, Avon and Somerset, Gloucestershire, Gwent, Devon and Cornwall, Thames Valley and Hampshire have been pulling over drivers off the A31 as part of Operation Utah.

ANPR systems instantly check up to 3,000 vehicles an hour against various databases of intelligence. This includes information provided by police officers, Crimestoppers, the DVLA and other forces about vehicles driven by people suspected of committing crime, wanted on warrant and those by disqualified drivers.

When a suspicious vehicle was identified by ANPR, police units pulled it over and carried out checks on the vehicle and its occupants. Representatives from other agencies including the Border and Immigration Agency and HM Revenue and Customs have also been at the site to assist the police with the operation.

Dorset Police Traffic Inspector Shaun Cronin said: "With ANPR, there is literally nowhere to hide - we use mobile as well as fixed units, meaning criminals can never second guess when we are watching.

"ANPR technology means that we can identify people wanted for a whole range of offences, from possession of drugs to benefit fraud."

He added: "By joining up with our neighbouring forces and key support agencies, the message is that there are no boundaries for criminals."

  • See the website on Wednesday for the full-report and video.