In a national first, traders offering metal for scrap across Dudley will be asked to supply fingerprints as part of a new initiative to crack down on metal theft.

In a move seen more commonly in the United States, all scrap metal dealers across the area have been supplied with equipment to proactively record the prints of any customers who visit their premises to sell goods - whether they are legitimate or of suspicious origin.

The scheme has been pushed by officers at Dudley Police as part of the force response to metal theft – Operation Steel.

Officers, working with Dudley's community safety partnership Safe and Sound, have supplied all registered dealers with record books and ink pads to record the fingerprints of those people selling scrap metal.

Signage has been erected around each premise making it clear that if you want to sell scrap metal in Dudley then you need to leave a copy of your fingerprints.

This photo shows PCSOs Bev McCabe and Dave Grove installing signage at a local scrap dealership in Dudley.

This image forms part of the West Midlands Police 'Photo of the Day 2012' project.

We will be adding a new photo every day of the year to highlight the breadth of work carried out by police officers and staff across the West Midlands.