ABOUT 130 members greeted Michael Crockett, Forensic Science Officer and fingerprints expert on October 31 as he fulfilled the Society's aim of promoting scientific knowledge.

He told of the amazing diversity of our fingerprints and progress made in their identification since their study began in 1901.

Fingerprints are unique, identical twins having different fingerprints.

After outlining the broad groups, arches, whirls, loops and compounds members learned that employees at the Fingerprint Bureau underwent vigorous training; measuring, recording and analysing about 10 key points with close on 100 per cent accuracy.

One of the key points on a loop fingerprint was like "a fork on a railway line that terminated at the next station".

In an interactive, clear and humorous style he answered many questions. It seems fingerprints develop in the second month of pregnancy and are caused by stress.

They remain throughout life and cannot be removed unless burnt off or the skin is cut off to the bone. If skin re-grows the same pattern regenerates.

Families share similarities but race is insignificant. Not all people are good donors.

In Birmingham in 1979 they had 36,000 fingerprints recorded on paper. Now there are over six million in this country, used to help to solve murders and rape cases and to identify missing persons more quickly.

A very powerful TRW computer and COGENT software, spin-offs from NASA research, have greatly speeded up the retrieval process, although identification is still done by eyesight.

Data is readily available to other police forces.

Burglars might wear gloves but those handling fraudulent cheques don't and sweat leaving tell-tale marks. Printers don't handle cheques and bank tellers don't sweat but criminals may sweat profusely. Fortunately few in the audience had been victims of crime and it's reassuring to note using fingerprints solves one in four crimes.

At the talk on Friday,Colin Bowden, Retired Drum Major, Royal Marines talked on Hearts of Oak - Nelson's Navy.

The Society meets at Trinity High School and visitors are always welcome. Call 01386 792082 for information.