European police forces are working on a universal remote stopping system to be fitted to cars, according secret documents.

Police would be able to bring cars involved in high-speed chases to a halt remotely removing the need for the current dangerous and unsafe methods such as spiking car tyres.

The technology could be ready as early as 2020 and it would allow criminals on the run to be stopped at the click of a button from an officer working in a central headquarters.

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The project is one of several key priorities to be worked on by the European Network of Law Enforcement Technology Services (ENLETS) - a secretive branch of a European working party aimed at enhancing police cooperation across the EU.

"Cars on the run can be dangerous for citizens," the report stated. "Criminal offenders will take risks to escape after a crime. In most cases the police are unable to chase the criminal due to a lack of efficient means to stop the vehicle safely."

The six-year work programme for ENLETS also includes improving automatic number plate recognition technology and intelligence sharing according to the documents leaked online by Statewatch, a watchdog monitoring police powers, state surveillance and civil liberties in the EU.

The remote stopping and other surveillance plans have been signed off by the EU's Standing Committee on Operational Cooperation on Internal Security, known as Cosi, meaning that the project has the support of senior British Home Office civil servants and police officers.

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