A stolen BMW worth £10,000 was seized by police in Oxford's latest operation using hi-tech cameras which check vehicle number plates.

Officers used automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras to scan 4,007 cars on the A40 London Road in Forest Hill on May 24.

They clamped 10 cars for tax offences and made two arrests, one for the theft of the BMW Z3 and another for driving while disqualified.

The Oxford Mail recently highlighted the success of ANPR cameras, which helped officers make 1,030 arrests between April 2004 and March this year.

The arrests were for offences including robberies, burglaries, thefts, motoring offences and driving while disqualified.

ANPR cameras are linked to databases which contain information from the Police National Computer, Customs & Excise and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.

When an offender's vehicle is identified, a team of officers on motorcycles chase and stop it.

Insp Gary Grant said: "This latest operation demonstrates the effectiveness of the technology. We also recorded more than 100 hits on various intelligence databases which help provide Thames Valley and other forces with valuable information on the movements of known criminals and suspect vehicles."