BBC News reports that the successful test of the license plate cameras in London has resulted in an expansion of the program throughout the UK.

The program started as a way to enforce the new London motor vehicle tax, but was apparently also used by authorities to track stolen vehicles, look for criminals, and enforce delinquent registrations.

This provides a nice lesson to those who don't see what all of the fuss is about when jurisdictions install cameras. They start with one stated purpose, but there is seldom any technological obstacle to expand their use to new and "interesting" applications.