Cllr Terry Mills with Chief Inspector Ian Boswell next to the new van

It will be staffed with officers monitoring CCTV cameras, which will be set up in places where it is thought car thieves are operating.

The thieves will not know they are being watched as the van can be parked far away from the cameras' locations. Bracknell Forest Council, which has partly funded the vehicle, hopes it will help tackle auto-crime.

'Offenders must be punished'

The crime-fighting van also carries a speed device allowing officers, when necessary, to catch motorists exceeding speed limits in so-called "hot spots".

Thames Valley Police says an ongoing crackdown has already led to a "significant reduction in car crime across the borough".

Theft from vehicles has fallen from 1,197 between April 2002 and February 2003, to 1,067 from April 2003 to February 2004.

While theft of vehicles dropped from 402 to 359 incidents this year.

Councillor Terry Mills, executive member for public and environmental services, said: "Car crime is very serious.

"Having your car damaged or stolen is no joke as anyone who has suffered knows.

"Car thieves and criminals that target vehicles should be aware that this new vehicle will be watching them.

"We do not take this kind of crime lightly and offenders must be punished."