Shropshire traders sign up for crimebusting plan

The scheme, called the Gold Standard, was launched last month as part of the Citadel campaign – the West Mercia Police force's new operation against house burglars.

It encourages jewellers, goldsmiths and pawnbrokers to adopt tough measures to make it more difficult for criminals to dispose of their ill-gotten gains.

Inspector Edward Hancox, the scheme's organiser, said he was delighted with the response from retailers.

He said: "Police and community support officers from our safer neighbourhood teams have been canvassing businesses dealing in gold, silver and other jewellery and there has been a really encouraging response.

"Over 30 retailers have now signed up and we will continue to contact and recruit all relevant businesses."

The Gold Standard code is being run by the police in partnership with Shropshire Trading Standards and the British Jewellers Association.

Inspector Hancox added: "It's pleasing to receive such a good response as it will ultimately help protect the public from becoming burglary victims. If there's no market for thieves to profit from, there's no need for the crime.

"The Gold Standard is a national voluntary code of conduct to reduce the opportunity to sell stolen precious metal jewellery in quick, anonymous sales."

Scheme members are linked to the Neighbourhood Watch messaging system.

Under the code, retailers are asked to obtain a name and address from every customer, verify customers' identity, if possible, by photographic identity, only buy from over-18s and capture transactions on CCTV and retain footage for 31 days.