Two arrests were made and a missing child was found during the latest live facial recognition (LFR) deployment in Chester.

On Saturday 25 July, Cheshire Police completed its second LFR deployment in the city centre as part of Operation Vigilant.

During the operation, two women were arrested following reports of an assault.

Officers intervened in a number of incidents involving unwanted behaviour towards women and girls, such as identifying and speaking to a man who was acting suspiciously.

In a separate incident, officers engaged with a man following reports about his behaviour around groups of women. A registered sex offender was also ordered to leave the area under dispersal powers.

Alongside safeguarding a vulnerable woman during the deployment, officers also successfully located a missing child.

The day of action also marked a significant milestone, with Cheshire Police becoming the first in the UK to use images shared by neighbouring police forces during a live facial recognition operation.

Throughout the day, officers engaged with members of the public to discuss LFR technology, how it supports policing activity and the measures in place to ensure it is deployed appropriately.

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Visitors were also able to see the technology in action and speak directly with officers about how it works.

Detective Chief Inspector Robert Pritchard said: "Operation Vigilant is about keeping people safe, and this deployment saw officers safeguard vulnerable people, locate a missing child and intervene early when concerns were identified.

"Live Facial Recognition is another tool that helps us protect the public. Used alongside neighbourhood policing, it supports our ability to identify wanted individuals and those who may pose a risk, prevent harm and respond proactively when issues arise.

"The public rightly expect us to take proactive action to keep people safe, and this deployment demonstrates how technology and visible policing can work together to achieve that.

"We remain committed to using Live Facial Recognition responsibly and transparently as part of our wider efforts to protect the public."

During the operation, officers were supported by the Sexual Offender Management Unit (SOMU), Project Servator officers and specialist LFR teams from Greater Manchester Police (GMP).