POLICE cameras are set to be upgraded and replaced across Bolton and Greater Manchester.

This comes as part of Greater Manchester Police's programme to replace its network of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, which are used to detect vehicles that have been stolen or that are being driven without insurance or used for organised crime, all around the city region.

Every vehicle that passes by the camera has its registration number read instantly and checked against a database of vehicles of interest which then makes it easier for police officers to intercept and locate vehicles they are looking for.

GMP CCTV and ANPR manager Inspector Jon Middleton said: "ANPR is a highly effective tool which denies criminals use of the road, provides intelligence to tackle criminality and allows us to protect vulnerable people.

"The upgrade of our ANPR network will allow us to continue to make arrests which, without the intelligence supplied by technology, may not be possible.

"The information it provides also allows for those arrests to be quicker, resulting in less resource being used and a faster outcome for our victims.

"This investment in the latest technology gives us access to information that enables us to prevent and solve crime, a key step on the Plan on a Page which was unveiled by the Chief Constable last year."