East

Today's police officer has access to an array of gadgets that connect an officer on the roadside direct to the Police National Computer.

At the centre of the developments are automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras.

They can read vehicle number plates and use computer databases to tell if that vehicle is stolen, without insurance or has no MOT.

ANPR can also help the Police to identify cars used by known criminals.

Cost of cameras

The ANPR scheme has already cost £32.5 million, so is it worth it?

Inside Out follows the Essex Police ANPR Intercept team as they run Operation Lockdown - to monitor every route in an area of Essex, checking all vehicles travelling in or out of the area.

Action stations - speed camera vans.

The idea is to stop criminals travelling.

It also catches people who should not be driving - such as those without insurance.

The UK has one of the worst records for uninsured vehicles in western Europe.

The Police say one in eight cars in Essex is uninsured.

ANPR technology is also used in some speed cameras.

Average speed cameras measure your speed at two points on the road, then work out the average speed between those points.

Surveillance - a step too far?

Malcolm Heymer from the Association of British Drivers thinks this is unnecessary surveillance.

"It's a matter of striking a balance... do we really need to keep this data?…

"You'd probably be less spied on in North Korea. So we think it's gone too far".

Simon Byrne - fighting crime with cameras.

But it will be going further.

There are already more than 140 ANPR cameras in Essex, and there are plans for more.

The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) ANPR spokesman is Assistant Chief Constable Simon Byrne, he told Inside Out:

"We're in constant discussions with the Highways Agency and other bodies that own cameras that face onto our roads to see how we can get the best use of cameras to support our crime-fighting technology".

Camera technology

The number of cameras will increase.

Simon Byrne also believes that ANPR will be at the centre of policing in the run up to the 2012 Olympics.

"The network of camera technology is right across the country in Police vehicles and fixed cameras so it's quite extensive; but it's something we need to build on to make sure there's no gaps in the system.

Tracking the criminals.

"And clearly, with the Olympics coming in a few years time there's a significant threat to the safety of people visiting that iconic event.

"We want to make sure we use technology like ANPR and we need to invest now to get ready for three years time."

During the day of Operation Lockdown, Inside Out saw how the ANPR cameras, combined with mobile finger print readers and hand held computers helped Essex Intercept team arrest a disqualified driver and seize five uninsured cars.