DEVON and Cornwall Police has begun using live facial recognition (LFR).

The force said the new tool would help “officers protect communities and find wanted people”.

A van outfitted with the LFR technology was deployed for the first time in Newquay from Thursday, August 6 to Saturday, August 8.

LFR works by comparing a live camera feed to a pre-determined watchlist.

The technology captures measurements of a person’s facial features and compares these with the faces on the watchlist.

Police have reassured the public that people not on the list cannot be matched and images of them are “automatically and permanently deleted within seconds”.

When the system suggests a possible match, police officers on the ground review it and decide whether to engage with the person.

Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said: “We want to make the best use of technology and LFR provides officers with an additional tool to help locate wanted people more quickly, prevent crime and keep communities safe.

“People may have concerns about live facial recognition technology, so we are committed to being open about where we are using it, when it is used and the safeguards that are in place to ensure it is used in a transparent and proportionate way.

“The van will be used across Devon and Cornwall to support policing operations.

“Members of the public will see a marked van and the area where it is operating will be clearly signposted so that people are aware of it.

“The human element is an important part of using LFR responsibly, so there will always be uniformed officers on the ground who will corroborate any possible matches before engaging with that person in an appropriate manner.”

All LFR deployments will be published on the force’s website with a minimum of seven days’ notice.