Facial recognition to be used in three town centres

Det Ch Supt Rich Tompkins said the technology was "really exciting"

Live facial recognition (LFR) cameras are to be used in three town centres, with a local force declaring the technology "the future of policing".

Northamptonshire Police said the LFR cameras will be deployed in Northampton on 28 November and 5 December, in Kettering on 29 November and in Wellingborough on 6 December.

A specialist van is being loaned to the force by neighbouring Bedfordshire Police as part of an operation targeting violence against women and girls.

Det Ch Supt Rich Tompkins, from Northamptonshire Police, said that while the technology was "very much in its infancy", the force was "really excited" to "bring it into the mainstream".

Northamptonshire Police previously used LFR cameras as part of its policing operation at the British Grand Prix, but this will be the first time they have been used in the county outside of the F1 event.

Det Ch Supt Tompkins, who has served with the force for 31 years, said: "The benefit [of LFR] is knowing who is in a particular area and the whole aim is to flag up individuals.

"It flags up primarily people who are wanted, or wanted locally, or registered sex offenders who shouldn't be in a particular area."

He said he accepted there were "some concerns" about the technology but added that it could be likened to CCTV.

"We're all now used to that technology," he said. "Live facial recognition is the future, it's really exciting we get on board for that."

Northamptonshire Police is being loaned the technology by neighbouring Bedfordshire Police - but has ambitions to acquire its own kit next year

In the forthcoming deployments in Northampton, Kettering and Wellingborough, the watchlist loaded on to the cameras will be the highest risk sex offenders as well as anyone circulated as wanted for arrest.

Officers said they would delete the images with alerts immediately after using them or within 24 hours.

The images and biometric data of those who do not cause an alert are automatically and immediately deleted.

Having loaned equipment for the upcoming exercises, Det Ch Supt Tompkins said the force wanted to introduce its own LFR technology "in a few months", with a dedicated LFR coordinator set to take up a post soon.