POLICE across Scotland are to be issued with camera phones under a pioneering crime-fighting plan.

A pilot scheme using the latest mobile phone technology to catch graffiti artists and vandals has proved so successful that officers are now looking to use the devices to combat a range of crimes.

Since its launch two months ago, the scheme — which is the first of its kind in Britain — has led to the capture of a group believed to be responsible for more than 200 acts of vandalism.

Officers in Tayside have been using the phones to build a database of graffiti. By comparing the distinctive style, colours and the unique signature — or “tag” — of the graffiti artists, police have been able to link the criminals to a number of different offences.

Now senior officers are examining the technology to find out whether the camera phones could carry out identification checks on suspects and take digital pictures of crime scenes.

The pilot scheme is being championed by Scotland’s most senior police officer, John Vine, the chief constable of Tayside police and president of the Association of Chief Police Officers Scotland (Acpos).

“It’s a good example of the use of new technology to improve the quality of people’s lives in tackling antisocial behaviour and getting serious about these low-level crimes,” he said.

“We think it’s a great success, but we do need to ensure that all the evidence is admissible, and I would like to see other forces in Scotland making use of the technology.”

Detective Chief Inspector Jim Cameron, from Tayside police, who is in charge of the anti-graffiti initiative, added: “We are looking to see in what other ways this technology can be used. If the pilot continues to be successful, there’s no doubt it will spread further afield to other forces.”

In Scotland, removing graffiti is estimated to cost millions of pounds each year. One of the main targets is the rail network. Last year, there were 119 graffiti incidents on Scotland’s railways. Across Britain, including the London Underground, more than 2,000 incidents were recorded, a rise of 20% since the year before.

One of the graffiti artists arrested as a result of camera phone images collected by police in Tayside is believed to be responsible for 40 cases of vandalism stretching back over many months. The offences carry a maximum sentence of three months’ imprisonment rising to six months for subsequent offences.

The technology is also being piloted by 16 firefighters in Fife, who are using camera phones to transmit pictures of victims from the scene of accidents to surgeons in accident and emergency departments at the Victoria hospital in Kirkcaldy and the Queen Margaret hospital in Dunfermline.

The images — which are transmitted via satellite and can be downloaded by hospital staff via e-mail or from similar phones — act as an early warning system, allowing staff to assess the likely extent of injuries.

In recent weeks, presentations have been given to other fire brigades in Scotland, who are expected to issue officers with camera phones next year.

Senior firefighters say there are also plans to use the phones at the scenes of major fires and chemical spillages to help officers at central control to gauge the severity of the situation.

However, the use of camera phones has raised privacy and data protection issues. Gyms and swimming pools across Scotland have already banned the use of camera phones to safeguard the privacy of their customers.

Experts have warned that police forces will need to establish the legality of using camera phones, particularly if a suspect refuses to agree to his picture taken.

David Smith, from the office of the UK information commissioner, Britain’s data protection watchdog, said: “It does raise some civil liberty issues. If it’s being done with someone’s agreement, the individual needs to be clear why it’s being done, how long the image will be kept for and where it will be stored. But I think the police will have problems if someone refuses to give their consent to have their picture taken or if they intend to file the photo on a database.”

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