'Terror cams' target thieves

Anti-terror cameras are being deployed in London to catch car thieves, police said today.

The mobile cameras, which read car number plates and flag up stolen vehicles, are being used in high crime boroughs to crack down on car theft.

Police normally use the cameras as an anti-terrorist measure, particularly in the City of London.

Detective Chief Superintendent Hamish Campbell said: "We have looked at the vehicle crime patterns closely and used that to pinpoint hotspots. Extra officers and technology will be working in those areas in an attempt to make an even bigger difference."

The number of car crimes has fallen to 197,000 this year compared to 209,000 last year.

Five boroughs are now being targeted - Islington, Havering, Lewisham, Southwark and Hackney.

Islington may be recording unusually high car crime figures, police believe, because thieves home in on motorists who leave their vehicles in the borough to avoid the congestion charge.