Dozens of motorists were stopped in a crime crackdown in a joint operation between West Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire officers.

Traffic police used a sophisticated computer to read car number plates on vehicles using the main routes in and out of east Leeds and Harrogate. The numbers were checked against a database and motorists stopped for a variety of offences.

More than 100 matches were made in West Yorkshire and eight men were arrested for offences including robbery and possession of controlled drugs. In North Yorkshire, 385 matches were made and five people arrested.

Updated: 10:56 Tuesday, July 08, 2003