East Lancashire police have seen a dramatic increase in the number of criminals caught on CCTV.

Its after six specialist officers were recruited last February as part of a police scheme to work on recovering vital CCTV footage after crucial evidence was lost on numerous occassions.

The new caught on camera proof has led to a dramatic increase in offenders pleading guilty and convictions at trial over the past year.

Kevin Kearley, head of Lancashire Constabulary’s Imaging Unit, said: “The introduction of this new role in February last year has proved to be a great success and we have already received excellent feedback from police officers. In many cases, the CCTV retrieved by the e-forensic officer has helped the investigation itself by leading detectives to potential DNA evidence or further offenders.

“Prior to this new service, there were occasions when CCTV footage provided to the courts was not of good enough quality to identify an offender and was inadmissible. It was akin to having a very poor fingerprint, providing only half the picture.

“Using their expert knowledge and the new equipment available, these officers are not only able to retrieve more CCTV than previously they also ensure the evidence is of optimum quality.”