THE latest weapon to combat car stealing was yesterday put on show.

Strathclyde and Lothian and Borders Police, concerned by the sharp

rise in stolen cars, have been seeking a restraining device.

They yesterday confirmed that, because of successful trials in

England, they had bought an American-built device known as the Stinger.

It consists of spikes mounted on a folding arm. It can be deployed

across any roadway in the path of a speeding vehicle.

As the car passes over it, the spikes are drawn into a tyre, causing

it to deflate within 20 seconds. But, unlike some deterrents, the

Stinger brings vehicles to a halt safely.

Strathclyde purchased 12 of them, at a cost of #425 each. They

deployed them for the first time last night during an exercise in the

Milton housing scheme in Glasgow.

Earlier, senior police officers demonstrated the effectiveness of the

device at a launch in Newhouse, Lanarkshire. A vehicle being driven at

more than 50mph was brought to a standstill within a short distance.

Mr Ian Mackinnon, secretary of the Association of Chief Police

Officers in Scotland, said that police were now becoming more exposed to

the greater dangers involved in attempting to halt speeding stolen

vehicles.

Chief Inspector Frank Stewart, based at Strathclyde's traffic

department at Motherwell, said: ''Several police forces in England have

been testing the device over the last 18 months and the results have

been remarkable.''