Police to deploy borrowed facial recognition van

A police force is borrowing facial recognition technology to use it in three town centres.

Suffolk Constabulary said it could help to find people wanted in connection with serious offences.

The force is loaning a van and equipment from Surrey Police for use in Bury St Edmunds, Lowestoft and Ipswich.

"It's an effective way of finding people we want to speak to and keeping the public safe," said Sgt Anthony Welford.

The van will be in Lowestoft today, Bury St Edmunds on Wednesday and Ipswich on Thursday.

The technology compares live camera feeds of the faces of passers-by with a police watch list.

Images of anyone not on the list are immediately deleted, the force said.

Anyone matched to the database would have their identity confirmed before action was taken.

Welford, of the county partnership prevention hub, said: "As we have always said ahead of previous deployments of live facial recognition, it is vital people understand that we take your privacy very seriously and images of members of the public won't be stored."

"This technology can save the time and effort of our officers, leaving them able to do other work to protect and help the public," he added.

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