HIGH profile checks of vehicle number plates snared almost 70 people in a police clampdown on burglary and car crime.

During a two-day blitz named Operation Ghurkha, officers from Kidderminster police station carried out automatic number plate recognition - ANPR - checks on seven sites across the town.

Using vehicle-mounted equipment that read number plates and was linked to the police national computer, they identified vehicles linked with criminal activity anywhere in Britain.

Nine arrests were made as a result of the operation, on Tuesday and Wednesday last week, while a further 58 people were dealt with for various offences.

Sgt Chris Aimes, of Kidderminster police, said: "The primary purpose was to locate travelling criminals by targeting their vehicles.

"The emphasis was on tackling burglaries and vehicle crime, which are current policing priorities in Wyre Forest. It was part of our drive to target known offenders and specific areas. The high visibility presence is effective by deterring criminal activity, as well as detecting crime."

He warned that more such checks would take place throughout the rest of the year.

"As part of Operation Ghurkha, officers will also be operating in smaller squads, especially during the night, to target known offenders and areas where criminals are active," he added.

Describing ANPR as "another weapon in our armoury to tackle crime", he said he looked forward to crime levels in the Wyre Forest district falling, as a result of a combination of initiatives such as the number plate checks.