Criminals who try to give the law the slip on the street by lying about their identities will be setting themselves up for a fall, thanks to new police technology.

Kent Police have taken delivery of 10 hand-held mobile electronic fingerprint devices, which can be used to establish a person's identity if they are already on the National Fingerprint Database without needing to go to a police station.

The devices will be used primarily to catch the estimated 60 per cent of drivers who do not give their true identity to officers when stopped, but the pilot scheme can be use to apprehend offenders wanted in connection with any crime across the country.

Det Supt Colin Croucher, head of the forensic investigation department at Kent Police said: "With this piece of equipment, fewer criminals will evade justice.

"If an officer is suspicious as to a person's identity, their fingerprints can be taken by the device and sent instantly to the National Fingerprint Database to see if the person is registered and this will tell us immediately if further action is required by the officer."

It normally takes around three hours to arrest someone, transfer them to a police station and check their identity, but the new devices will cut this time dramatically and mean officers can spend more time on patrol.

The force has already seen some success with this equipment, which was first trialled in May.

Last month a driver, stopped using the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system, gave false details to police, but , he immediately conceded his true identity when presented with the mobile fingerprint device and admitted he was disqualified.

Fingerprints taken of anyone not on the national database will be discarded immediately. Once prints have been used to identify the suspect they are deleted. There is no obligation to provide fingerprints during the trial period, but refusal to do so could result in arrest until identity has been established.