by Emma Grove

Sheppey is set to get cameras which will record every vehicle coming onto and leaving the Island.

The Times Guardian revealed in October how former Island police inspector Steve Griffiths was campaigning to get £73,000 together to install automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras on both bridges.

And although he is no longer in the job, his wish will be realised when the technology is launched by police in April. The cameras alert police to vehicles of interest such as those used to commit a crime or those owned by a disqualified driver. They can also pick up on un-taxed vehicles and ones without an MoT.

Information gained from the cameras is linked to systems such as the police national computer and the DVLA. It also gives a feed of information directly into police patrol cars so they can view live images from the cameras and respond immediately.

The police have borrowed £63,000 towards the cameras from Swale Local Strategic Partnership. Mr Griffiths said at the time he believes Sheppey is the perfect place for the scheme and new Island inspector Alan Rogers agrees it will be a vital tool to fight crime here.

He said: “While law-abiding members of the community can go about their business freely, those carrying out criminal activities have a greater chance of being caught.

“ANPR can also be used for research purposes for long-term investigations, as officers can review footage taken by cameras during specific time periods.

“Kent Police’s ANPR cameras read up to one million vehicle number plates each day but only a small percentage of these are of interest to police.

“Obviously we are unable to give out the location of ANPR cameras for operational reasons, but the geography of the Island is unique in that it is cut off from the mainland except by road, which means we can use the natural features of the area to help protect it from crime.”

“I would like to thank Swale Local Strategic Partnership for their support in helping to get the scheme up and running and look forward to seeing the results that the cameras will inevitably bring.”