WHEN targeting roads suspected of being used by drugs gangs to transport illegal drugs into Warrington, officers from the roads policing department are armed with the latest technology to catch the criminals in the act.

But the best tool in their armoury is not what you may first think.

“You would be surprised how more often than not officers use their intuition,” said PC Aiden Sharrock, from the taskforce team.

“Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) has its limitations.

“But you develop a sixth sense in this job where you can tell if something is not quite right.”

Following the launch of the Fatal Four campaign earlier this month, Warrington Guardian chief reporter Lauren Hirst spent the morning with the 35-year-old police constable to experience how the force tackles the four main causes of death on the roads. 

That includes drink and drug driving, speeding, not wearing a seatbelt and using mobile devices while behind the wheel.

While on the move, the ANPR devices continuously scans registration plates and flags up any crime markers.

This can range from minor offences such as no tax to whether the car has previously been used in a crime or whether it belongs to a registered sex offender.

ANPR devices are also permanently fitted at locations across the county – the exact location is shrouded in secrecy.

“I remember there was a rape case a few years back in Great Sankey and the offender was linked to the location through ANPR.

“When talking about the location of the ANPR the jury had to be taken out – it is that secretive.”

Claims that police officers have certain targets to meet each year were also disputed by PC Sharrock.

“Some people think we are just here to give out driving tickets but that’s not true,” he said.

“We don’t have a certain amount of tickets to give out each month.

“But what we are here to do is to disrupt crime and deter offenders from using the roads.”

With a number of fatal road crashes this year, sergeant Dave Harrison, who is also based on the taskforce in the roads policing department, has issued a reminder to motorists to be alert while behind the wheel.

He said: “People still think they can get away with drink and drug driving and other similar offences but they can’t.

“While Fatal Four is a week-long campaign, this is our jobs every day of the week to educate motorists and keep those on the roads safe.”