Criminals targeting Bradford City Centre are being spied on.

We spent a morning shadowing the spy master' who is orchestrating 125 CCTV and radio users watching thieves' and trouble-makers' every move - and using it as evidence against them.

PC Mark Plovie has worked out of the city centre since 1978 and last October was put in charge of a new task to bring together the police, businesses and traders in a joint operation to drive criminals out of town.

From his office at the new central police station in Trafalgar House, he co-ordinates a massive network of eyes and ears guarding more than 125 shops and businesses throughout the city centre.

The partnership called City Centre Beat has just banned five prolific thieves from its members' premises by naming and shaming them - and more will follow.

City centre wardens and a team of police community support officers are handed radios at the start of every day before they set foot on the city centre streets.

Traders, who are all linked up to the same system, can pass on information they have about anyone acting suspiciously or known to be an offender and, by doing that, CCTV cameras around the town can zoom in on suspects and other traders can be on their guard.

PC Plovie is a familiar face on this beat, stopping and chatting to traders at the Oastler market at the top of town, security guards at high street stores and Catherine Riley, manager at the Kirkgate Centre, is a routine part of his working day.

He is hoping to soon move from his edge-of-the-city office at Trafalgar House to a new base in Kirkgate Centre.

"Essentially I orchestrate a spy network, keeping an eye on the whole of the city centre so it'll make sense for me to have a permanent base right here at the heart of where it all happens."