Pembrokeshire police officers have been aided in their fight against crime and public disorder by the introduction of new equipment which can literally give them eyes in the back of their heads.

In a pioneering new project for Dyfed-Powys Police, three vans within the Pembrokeshire division have now been fitted with CCTV equipment.

All three have front facing cameras linked to on-board video recorders, while two have also been equipped with special cameras on the roof which can rotate through 360 degrees to record incidents behind the vans.

Although other forces in Wales, including North Wales and the South Wales police, have similar vans, these are the first within the Dyfed-Powys area and will greatly assist in providing public reassurance in villages and areas of towns not already covered by town centre CCTV systems.

The vans have been equipped at a cost of £23,000, with funding being obtained from the Welsh Assembly through the Community Safety Group, which is made up of various bodies, including Pembrokeshire County Council, the Probation and Health services, the Youth Offenders' team and the Dyfed-Powys Police Authority.

"This is an excellent example of multi-agency working to target anti-social behaviour and drug activity throughout the county," said Pembrokeshire's divisional commander, Chief Superintendent Paul Amphlett.

"The advantages of video evidence presented to courts are well documented and can lead to significant savings in police officer time.

"This excellent initiative provides both public reassurance and first class evidence in cases of public disorder. It illustrates our commitment to the objective of improving community safety throughout the county."

Two of the vans will be based in Tenby, while the third will be based at Haverfordwest.

"There is a fairly unique situation in the Tenby area, especially in the summer months with so many people coming to the town to attend the pubs and clubs," the Chief Superintendent continued.

"As the population increases in the summer, so do incidents, with 35 per cent of all Tenby's recorded crimes happening within the main summer months. Anything to assist us in the control of public order and the prevention of crime is a help, and these vans will be a great asset."

The vans have already been deployed, with more officers being trained in their use this week.