WORCESTERSHIRE'S most prolific criminals will be hit with more police surveillance and searches under a new scheme.

Anyone with six or more convictions in one year will be highlighted on a national database of criminals whenever they come into contact with an officer, it was announced yesterday.

The tracking system will help West Mercia police force to identify the persistent offenders in its area, instead of relying solely on its own intelligence.

There are around 33,000 people with six or more convictions in 12 months in the country's 43 police areas. The Home Office hopes earlier detection of the most active offenders will help police break their crime habit at the first opportunity.

Police will be urged to carry out routine searches of cars, even for minor motoring offences, if they realise a suspect has a prolific criminal past.

They will be expected to bring charges for any alleged crime in cases where the suspect might otherwise have escaped with a caution.

The courts will also give priority to their cases to ensure they arebrought to justice quickly and effectively - for as many of their offences as possible.

Police commanders will receive regular lists of the persistent offenders in their area, who will also be tracked by the Crown Prosecution Service.

The most prolific offenders are responsible for crimes ranging from theft and burglary to crimes of violence, including robbery and criminal damage.

But research has revealed a "justice gap" in which only 20 per cent of the five million crimes recorded every year result in a successful prosecution.

"This is a strategy to clamp down on persistent offenders by bringing them to book for more offences and making them give up their life of crime," said Lord Falconer, the Criminal Justice Minister.

"Increasing the frequency of an offender being caught and convicted is the most effective single way of shortening their criminal career.

"An effective criminal justice system is only one part of the fight against crime. but when it works badly local communities suffer and too many people escape justice."

The new intelligence tool, to come on stream in February, is a key part of the Government's "Narrowing the Justice Gap" strategy to improve detection and conviction.

It will target the worst one-third of the estimated 100,000 criminals who carry out about half of all recorded crime.