A CAMPAIGN by North Yorkshire Police to protect property from criminals has been shortlisted for a national award.

The dot peen property marking campaign, which sees items from phones and tablets to bikes and televisions marked with a permanent and unique number, has been running in York since July 2015.

Its aim is to deter thieves, but also vastly increase the chances of reunited lost and stolen items with their owners.

The scheme has been shortlisted in the Integrated Communications Campaign of the Year category at the UK Public Sector Communications Awards.

Inspector Lee Pointon, of York Police, said: “North Yorkshire Police have been pioneering this innovative system, leading the way in preventing crime and securing property, so it’s great to see our efforts recognised at a national level.

“Security marking your property using a dot peen machine is a really effective way of protecting yourself from being a victim of crime.

"Criminals will spot the security mark, and will quickly realise that the property is too difficult to sell on.

"It is much easier to return marked property that has been lost or stolen, and it can also provide crucial evidence in securing convictions at court. Over the last year, dot peen has proved really popular with York residents and businesses – quite simply, the more property we protect, the more effective it will be.”

Councillor Nigel Ayre, cabinet member for leisure, culture and tourism at City of York Council, said: “We’ve used the campaign and officers’ expertise to spread the message and support our work to deter theft from sheds and plots.

"I’m pleased that some 2,000 pieces of gardening equipment have been marked during the campaign’s first 12 months and hope that will add peace of mind to plot holder’s enjoyment of gardening.”

The winning entries will be announced on Thursday 14 July at a ceremony in London.