Police have arrested a 27-year-old man after he was stopped driving a suspected stolen car on the A39 near to Perranarworthal during a traffic operation.

Officers were conducting checks on a number of vehicles in the area utilising the "Automatic number plate recognition" (ANPR) system, which allows Police to scan the number plates of moving vehicles.

If a registration is then flagged as having some form of interest to Police or illegality with reference to it's use on a road, then officers may decide to stop the vehicle and carry out further enquiries.

Officers used this operation to stop the vehicle, a red coloured Toyota "Starlet" XLI which was subsequently found to have previously been reported as stolen.

During the operation police also seized a further four vehicles that were found to have no insurance held by the drivers. Prosecutions will brought against the drivers, and the vehicles will be held in secure storage until the owners prove that they have purchased insurance for the vehicles to be used legally on the road.

Devon and Cornwall Constabulary regularly carry out such operations that are directly aimed at maintaining the safe use of vehicles on the roads of both counties. The reduction of the number of road casualties is a priority for the force, and these initiatives act as driver education opportunities to help assist that aim.