People living in Lichfield and Burntwood are being urged to register for a national scheme which aims to help reunite victims of crime with their property.
the appeal comes after a teenager was reunited with her mobile phone four months after it had been stolen, thanks to the Immobilise national property register.
An offender had paid £25 to try and get the phone unlocked after he paid £50 for the phone. Being unsuccessful he then tried to sell it to a mobile phone recycling company. But the mobile had been registered and police were able to find the rightful owner and return it.
The man, who not only lost £75, received a police caution for handling stolen goods.
Det Sgt Rachel Joyce, Staffordshire Police’s intelligence manager, said: “This is a very good example why we are encouraging people to register their mobile phones, iPads and laptops.
“We have recently run a campaign, to coincide with ‘freshers’ weeks, at local universities and colleges to encourage students to use the register.
“Police staff and PCSOs attended seven fresher fairs – at Tamworth, Lichfield, Cannock and Rodbaston campuses for South Staffs College, Stoke and Stafford campuses for Staffordshire University and Keele University, where more than 1,500 students registered their phones with Immobilise.
“We would encourage everyone to register their property – it’s free and easy to use, all you need is your IMEI number off your phone, which is found behind the battery, or in your phone settings, and the serial number of any other items you wish to register.
“The service is free to use and it helps police check the register when property has been recovered from suspected criminals and can help with police investigations into stolen goods.”
The free service is easy to use by logging on to www.immobilise.com.