ROGUE bus and lorry operators are on their guard after the national launch of a new number plate recognition system in Kidderminster.

The town's vehicle testing station on the Kidderminster to Worcester road, which has undergone a £1.2 million refurbishment, was used for the unveiling of the £400,000 system. It uses infra-red cameras to send images of number plates to a computer which can match them with a national database to see if vehicles are covered by an operator licence or test certificate.

They can be operated at the side of the road or from bridges, covering up to four lanes of traffic day or night.

The process takes less than half a second and allows enforcement officers to tackle illegal vehicles.

More information is available by calling 0870 606 0440 or by visiting the website www.vosa.gov.uk.