A  £20,000 machine which recognises car number plates will be routinely taken on police operations.

The hand-held machine will enable Bracknell officers to spot vehicles which have been involved in illegal activities.

Ch Insp Simon Bowden said: “We hope it will have a real impact on the number of criminals we catch.

“It will mean we can carry out bespoke operations in a far shorter period of time, which will save us a lot of staff time and make us more efficient.”

When Bracknell police want to carry out a number plate operation now, they have to book a machine from Thames Valley Police headquarters several weeks in advance.

That machine comes in a riot van, meaning it can only be used for roadside operations.

The new gadget will be used by Bracknell police only.

Once plates have been clocked, officers can tell if the vehicle is stolen, has no tax or insurance or has been involved in crime.

Ch Insp Bowden said: “The machine has now been ordered so we just have to wait for it to arrive now. Once it gets here all the response team and the neighbourhood teams will be trained in how to use it and then they can get out and about with it.

“It will only need a team of around four or five officers to carry out a number-plate recognition operation.”

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