Police carry out high visibility vehicle checks across Scarborough

Officers say their Project Servator stops are designed to help keep people safe from criminality.

Some - such as the one pictured - are highly visible. Others are less visible, such as plain clothes police officers and CCTV operators.

Police say their vehicle checks are not speed checks or checks on people's movements.

They do not stop every vehicle and specially-trained officers are looking out for the tell-tale signs that someone might be involved in or planning crime.

North Yorkshire Police says on its website: "Law-abiding members of the public should have nothing to fear if they see a Project Servator deployment in their area.

"These are normal police operations designed to disrupt a range of criminal activity and create a network of vigilance against those intent on committing crime, including terrorism.

"Our research tells us that the majority of the public are reassured to see the police, businesses, community partners and fellow members of the public working together.

"Around 2,000 members of the UK public have been surveyed about their attitude to Project Servator deployments. The individual surveys have shown that between 57 per cent and 73 per cent of respondents found the deployments reassuring.

"As part of Project Servator, police officers will talk to members of the public about the deployments and how they can help. We also encourage people to ask officers questions if they have any concerns.

"We rely on the public to be our eyes and ears. You have a key role to play by reporting anything that doesn’t feel right, for example an unattended item or someone acting suspiciously.

"We ask the public to report suspicious activity immediately to a police officer or their local police on 101.

"Suspicious activity is anything that seems out of place, unusual or doesn’t seem to fit in with day-to-day life. If it’s an emergency, always call 999."

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