A CRACK DOWN on travelling criminals, burglars and car thieves by spotting car number plates has been hailed as a success, with nine arrests and another 58 people being interviewed.

Operation Gurkha was instigated by West Mercia Police and involved officers from Kidderminster police station and Hindlip headquarters in high-profile number plate recognition checks.

The checks, which were carried out at seven sites around Kidderminster, involved the use of equipment which reads number plates and is linked to the police national computer, and the DVLA database.

It identifies vehicles which are linked to criminal activity anywhere in Britain. As well as the arrests, the operation resulted in a further 58 people were dealt with for various offences.

Sgt Chris Aimes, of Kidderminster Police, said the main purpose of the operation was to locate travelling criminals.

"The emphasis was on tackling burglaries and vehicle crime, which are current policing priorities," he said.

"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."

Sgt Aimes said more checks would follow throughout the year.

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

Sgt Aimes said crime in the Wyre Forest district had fallen since last September and hoped the public was being reassured by an increased visible police presence.