POLICE arrested 16 people in an operation tackling vehicle crime and burglary.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) was used in the operation, which covered areas including Brynmawr, Ebbw Vale and Tredegar over recent weeks.

During the operation 40 vehicles were stopped and searched and 16 people were arrested.

6 for drink driving.

2 for theft of a motor vehicle.

1 for theft of copper piping.

1 for theft of garden ornaments.

1 for theft by finding.

1 for possession of cannabis.

1 for disqualified driving.

2 for burglary.

1 for criminal damage.

1 for a bail warrant offence.

A further three vehicles were seized for having no insurance. Eight fixed penalty notices were issued for various traffic offences including driving whilst using a mobile phone and not wearing seatbelts and six people were reported to court for traffic offences.

Over the last three years, Gwent Police says vehicle crime in C Division has fallen by 21.9% and theft of motor vehicles has reduced by 35.8%.

Brynmawr Inspector Ian Muirhead, said: "Despite the large reductions in vehicle crime that we have seen over the last three years across C Division, this operation aims to further reduce people becoming victims of vehicle crime in the north end of the division.

"However, we were disappointed by the number of people that we caught drink driving. I would urge other drivers in the area to act responsibly and not to risk their lives, or those of their passengers and other road users or pedestrians."