GREATER Manchester Police will be driving crime off the roads following the launch of a new state-of-the-art system to check number plates.

The force is part of a national scheme to pilot the new Automatic Number Plate Recognition system.

Special devices are used to scan vehicle registrations and check them against information stored on a database.

It will help officers to quickly identify plates which are of interest to them including stolen cars, those involved in crimes or people wanted for traffic offences.

Called Project Laser, GMP has been given £40,000 towards the cost of testing the various ways of using the system.