According to the Home Office, the facial recognition algorithms used in these vans have been independently tested and will operate under strict oversight.

Each van will be operated by trained officers, who will verify matches identified by the technology against a watchlist, following guidelines from the College of Policing.

The government is also conducting a consultation to explore necessary safeguards for LFR use, aiming to ensure transparency and public confidence.

The Government plans to restore neighbourhood policing, which has diminished over the past 15 years, by adding 3,000 new neighbourhood officers and community support officers within a year.

Critics, including the campaign group Big Brother Watch, have voiced alarm over the expansion of surveillance technology, warning it signals a growing surveillance state.

Chief Superintendent Tim Morgan has reassured the public that the technology is used ethically and has not led to wrongful arrests in areas where it has been implemented.

The UK Government is set to expand the use of live facial recognition (LFR) technology as part of a significant overhaul of neighbourhood policing aimed at apprehending high-harm offenders.

To facilitate this initiative, ten vans equipped with advanced facial recognition cameras will be deployed across seven police forces, including Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and Hampshire.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper highlighted that the technology will specifically target serious offenders, including sex offenders and individuals wanted for grave crimes.

The Home Office has reported that LFR has been effective in locating thousands of offenders, including suspects of serious crimes such as rape, domestic abuse, and robbery.

However, privacy advocates have raised concerns about the lack of regulation and transparency associated with the expanded use of facial recognition technology.

In conjunction with the technology rollout, every community in England and Wales will have a designated officer to manage reports on anti-social behaviour, enhancing local policing efforts.