A thumbprint identification scheme has been launched in Bradford to put the finger on credit card fraudsters.

Gel ink pads are being introduced into mobile phone shops across the city centre as Fraud Squad officers believe they are the prime targets for the criminals.

Customers will be asked to put a thumb print on the shop's credit card receipt and on their contract when they buy a mobile phone.

Stickers with the Thumbprint Signature Scheme logo will be displayed in the windows of participating stores.

The scheme, which police hope will be adopted by all the city's retailers, comes as it was revealed that credit card and debit card fraud in Bradford went up this year by a third.

According to the Association of Payment Clearing Services (APACS), which represents all the major high street banks, between February 2001 and this February £1.7 million of credit card and debit card fraud was committed in Bradford - a 32 per cent increase on the same period in 2000/01.

It was also double the total for 2000 which was £850,000.

Detective Chief Inspector Susan Cross, who heads the West Yorkshire Police Fraud Squad, said: "The use of forged credit cards and debit cards and cloned cards - that is when the information on the metallic strip has been stolen from another card - is on the increase nationally.

"There is a real problem with this type of fraud in the South West.

"We hope by introducing the Thumb Print Signature Scheme it will act as a deterrent.

"The evidence suggests that mobile phone shops are the most vulnerable to this type of fraud crime, but the idea is to roll it down to retailers across the city."

APACS statistics showed that nationally £411 million of credit card fraud was committed in 2001, up from £317 million the previous year.

Det Chf Insp Cross has already met members of the City Centre Beat partnership to give out the thumb print packs.

Chris Ball, manager of the Orange Retail Mobile Phone shop in Kirkgate, said: "The phone industry seems to be the most-targeted retailer for credit card fraud.

"They use them not only to buy phones, but also as forms of ID.

"At last we've got some kind of comeback. We will use it for credit card transactions and on mobile phone contracts."