SUSPECTED criminals are to be shown the yellow card in Cheshire.

The county's police officers have copied football referees and are starting to brandish the ominous-coloured card.

But unlike football officialdom these yellow cards are being dished out to anyone suspected of crime as part of an initiative, in particular, to deter criminals from visiting Cheshire.

Op Yellow Card allows officers who suspect someone is carrying out criminal activity to issue them with the warning card anywhere, from the roads network to out on the streets.

Cheshire Police says an actual crime does not have to be "in progress" for the cards to be produced, but the force stresses there will be police intelligence that the individual is involved in criminal behaviour.

Like football, a second yellow card will be issued if the person is stopped again in a similar area on suspicion of committing crime.

After that police can consider imposing a range of options including dispersal notices and civil orders, while a record will be kept of those spoken to with the information reviewed should any crimes come to light.

Op Yellow card will apply to people from outside the county who are not believed to have a legitimate reason for being in the area, as well as to those who live in Cheshire.

Chief Constable Mark Roberts said: "The message is clear, if you are coming into or travelling through Cheshire to commit a crime then we are watching you and you are not welcome.

"If we believe you are involved in criminality we will target you, and when we issue the Yellow Card we will explain to you why we are targeting you.

"This is not about stopping people indiscriminately it is about disrupting and deterring crime to help prevent Cheshire residents becoming a victim of crime."

As well as deterring criminals, Cheshire Police hope the card scheme will help reassure the wider public that criminal behaviour will not be tolerated in the county.

The chief constable says already the scheme has produced "encouraging" results with so far 30 yellow cards issued leading to seven arrests.

He says the force sees people travelling into Cheshire with criminal intent from not only Greater Manchester and Merseyside, but Derbyshire, the Midlands and as far afield as London.

"Criminals from outside of the county might think that travelling into Cheshire gives them an advantage, whereas through a range of methods we actually identify them quickly," warned Mr Roberts.

"Through initiatives like this we're determined to make life as difficult as possible for criminals. They need to know if they are issued with a yellow card we will be proactively targeting their criminal activity should they return to Cheshire."