POLICE have netted almost 200 arrests through a hi-tech number plate-reading scheme designed to slash serious crime across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Latest figures show 189 people have been arrested through use of the police's automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system during its first six months of operation.
In December, 29 arrests were made as a direct result of the technology, which is capable of scanning up to 3,000 vehicles every hour.
The arrests included:
Three disqualified drivers
Two driving with excess alcohol
Three driving while impaired
Five for theft or burglary
Four for providing false details
Three for drugs offences
Seven for being wanted by police
Two for other offences.
The project, codenamed Operation Laser, involves number plates being checked against information stored in national databases to see if the vehicle is stolen or has been used in crime.
Any suspicious vehicle is then identified and intercepted by officers.
Insp Tony Browne, who leads Operation Laser in Hampshire, said: "I'm extremely pleased that ANPR is continuing to reap rewards.
"These latest figures bring the total number of arrests made using the technology to 189 since June, when Operation Laser began.
"The public has nothing to worry about. This is a tool that helps us track criminals, and it's important that we continue to use the technology to deny these people use of the road network across the two counties."
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