"CAMCOPS" are waging war on town centre teenage muggers who are terrorising other youngsters.

Police officers have taken to the streets armed with state-of-the-art video equipment to film potential attackers and their victims as part of a high-profile policing plan.

And just four weeks into the initiative - launched as part of GMP's Operation Hawk - figures show the number of town centre attacks have more than halved.

Police chiefs have welcomed the success of the operation, which has also seen digital film images collated as police intelligence on a number of young suspects. Insp Dave Flitcroft, from Bolton Central operational policing unit - which is co-ordinating the town centre campaign - said: "Analysis showed there was a clear problem with robberies being committed by young males on similar aged young males.

"Comparing this month to last, there has been a 60pc reduction in the number of robberies.

"We're very happy with the results although we realise that it's a long term problem and we've still got a way to go."

Two 15-year-old Bolton boys have already been placed in detention after appearing before courts on robbery charges, brought as part of the Operation Hawk campaign.

The project, launched last month, comes after Greater Manchester Police was awarded £3.2 million of Home Office cash with the aim to double the number of arrests for robbery over the next five years.

For the past week - during school half-term when the threat of teen muggings increases - PC Mark Slater has patrolled the town's streets with a £3,500 video camera, openly filming youths at notorious robbery hotspots.

As part of his patrol the police officer has toured the area around the Water Place swimming pool, town centre bus stations, Newport Street and Ashburner Street.

He said: "We're not targeting specific individuals. We're looking at groups and gathering intelligence.

"People have been shocked to see a police officer with a camera but when they have found out what it's all about they have been very supportive."

Police bosses are keeping tight-lipped as to when the video surveillance will be used, to ensure their young targets do not get the upper hand in the fight against teenage street crime.

But yesterday the operation was praised by parents, with dad-of-three Bohdan Horbaczewskyj adding: "It's a great idea.

"To catch someone in the act and to show it to other kids is far more hard hitting than just saying that something is wrong to do."