There's something strange about being asked to provide a fingerprint when you try to use a credit card in a shop.

You can't help feeling slightly like a criminal as you roll your thumb across the back of a receipt, leaving your own personal identity mark.

But it's a feeling more and more people may have to get used to as shopkeepers try to find ways to prevent fraud.

Headache

It's a major headache for the retail industry, costing an estimated �400m a year.

At the highest levels some of the country's biggest banks and shopping chains are spending fortunes trying to come up with a solution to the problem.

And now the smallest shopkeepers on the High Street are also trying to fight back.

Campaign

Chelmsford in Essex is a town at the forefront of the campaign.

Many shops there have brought in the fingerprint identity technique. Or to be more accurate, thumbprint.

Whenever a shopper uses their card at one of the shops taking part in the trial, they may find themselves asked to provide the print.

Trial

At Gibson's Sports Store on Moulsham Street, there's a small ink pad by the till.

Brian: No-one has refused

Brian Pawsey, the shop manager, says he doesn't ask everyone to use it - regular customers don't need to be checked.

But if it's a stranger he may well ask them to pop their thumb in the ink and then roll it onto the back of the credit card receipt.

"It's completely safe," said Brian. "And it doesn't mark your clothes.

"It might sound a bit strange at first, but I reckon if everyone got used to doing it as automatically as signing a receipt, no-one would even notice. I have never had anyone refuse."

More to the point perhaps, he hasn't had any credit card fraud since he brought it in six months ago.

Success?

Many of the shops along Moulsham Street use the scheme and Brian says so far he hasn't heard of any fraud since the trial was introduced.

That's also been the case in Inverness, where shops taking part in a similar scheme have reported an incredible 98% drop in card fraud.

But not everyone's happy.

Shopkeepers in Bristol decided against introducing the idea.

They were worried that shoppers would be put off by the idea and go to stores which didn't ask for a thumbprint.

Specialist

For the same reason, none of the national chain stores in Chelmsford's shopping precincts have signed up to the scheme.

But Brian reckons it's ideal for shops like his.

"This is a busy High Street with specialist, independent shops. There is also easy access out of town along the A12 and so we are a natural target for fraudsters," he says.

Cathy: Views mellowed

But Cathy MacBride, town centre manager for Chelmsford, is more sceptical.

She believes it may work for the smaller shops but not for larger stores.

"There has to be a fear that customers will be put off from going into shops, but it's worth giving it a try on a small scale to see what happens."

Ironically Cathy's views have mellowed after her credit card details were stolen over the internet and the thieves ran up bills of thousands of pounds.

Support

Essex police who are supporting the scheme say it doesn't break any civil liberty regulations and none of the fingerprints is stored.

After the transaction is completed by the banks the slips with the thumbprints on are ripped up and thrown away.

Every shopper that we spoke to in Chelmsford supported the scheme, including two fishermen buying some rods at Gibson's who had just been asked to provide their thumbprints.

But it's not hard to see why the big stores don't want to sign on for the scheme.

It's a tough life on the High Street and they don't want to risk deterring a single customer.

And it's understandable that hardened shoppers going from store to store and repeatedly being asked to provide a print might not be keen to give the idea the thumbs up.