Police forces in Manchester and Birmingham are taking what they call a "bold" attempt to identify looters by displaying the faces of suspects on giant advertising hoardings around the two cities.

Greater Manchester Police will project digital images from CCTV footage on a giant screen in Piccadilly Gardens and the Printworks entertainment complex at the heart of the city before the end of Friday.

The images of those suspected of taking part in the riots earlier this week will also be displayed on mobile advertising vans as part of its "Shop a Looter" campaign.

In Birminghan, West Midlands police are already displaying footage of suspected rioters and looters outside the shops where the goods were stolen.

A van, with a giant display unit on the side, is showing more than 50 CCTV images of the wanted people between 7am and 7pm on Friday and Saturday.

Mark Rushton, WMP acting detective inspector, said the response to the billboard vans was "amazing" because people found it easier to go up to an officer to say they know the person on screen than to phone in with their information.

The move is part of a wider digital media strategy being deployed by both police forces, which also includes the use of Twitter, Facebook and Flickr accounts where images of suspects are being displayed.

GMP has been updating its Twitter account with constant warnings that the criminals will be caught. "We are monitoring Twitter 24 hours a day until the message sinks in – if you use it to incite any violence, you'll be arrested," said one post.

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