SHOPS and small businesses are being given free security camera tapes to help in the fight against fraud.

Durham Police's cheque and plastic card team is offering replacement tapes when officers take closed-circuit television tapes to use in their investigation of crimes.

Detective Inspector Colin Gibson, who leads the force's economic crime unit, said: "Where people using stolen cheques or credit cards are caught on camera, the shop's tapes are seized as part of the evidence-gathering process.

"Larger traders and supermarket chains can absorb the cost, but the smaller businesses and sole traders can ill afford to be regularly buying new tapes."

Under the initiative, which is supported by the Durham Agency Against Crime, detectives will offer free replacement tapes to small traders.

Det Insp Gibson said: "This is an act of goodwill on our part that we believe will promote our common aim of prevention and detection.

"Thanks to the financial support of the agency, we will be able to make scores of tapes available, but we do not have an unlimited supply.''

The agency's executive manager, Chief Inspector Bob Glass, said: "Cheque and credit card fraud costs the UK economy over £238m a year and the costs of this economic burden are passed on to the customer. For some small businesses having to replace tapes can be the difference between making a profit and breaking even.

"This may be seen as a small gesture of support but it marks the determination of the business community at every level to fight this growing crime and bring offenders to justice.''