I took a telephone call this week while I was in the office. It was from an elderly lady who wanted to know where she could get her grandson's new push bike post coded before she gave it to him for Christmas.

I was a little taken aback as I couldn't remember the last time I saw a post coding cycle kit yet alone know where one could be found. I asked around the office and while the younger officers looked at me blankly, the more mature began to tell stories of the days when we would set up our stall at school fetes, or similar outdoor events, and armed with the equivalent of a piece of steel that resembled the small pens you find in Argos, and a lump hammer, we would proceed to bash the letters and numbers that equated to the owner's postcode into the frame of the cycle. The owners would then cycle off safe in the knowledge that if their bikes were stolen and recovered, we would be able to reunite the two. As an extra security measure, we would also issue them with a bright orange sticker that would serve as a warning to potential thieves that this bike was protected, so steal it at your peril!

My quest to find the elusive post coding kit came to an abrupt end when I was informed that we no longer used this type of equipment, probably due to the fear of being sued by the owners, after all cycles can cost hundreds of pounds nowadays and who would want to see their pride and joy hit with stencil and a lump hammer anyway.

No, we now use what is called the Immobiliser database, which is a registration tool for every piece of equipment that you can think off. As long as it's got some form of identification, for instance a part number, serial number, model number etc then it can be registered.

Anyone can register their property, just go to immobilise.com and it will take you through the registration process. The benefit of registering your property on this database is that police have unrestricted access, and we are able to check property that we believe may be stolen by using the information that you provide.

After all, when we execute search warrants and enter an address to find sparse living conditions, yet in the corner of the room is the latest 50-inch plasma TV, it raises our suspicions. A check on the database would give us the information we needed to see if this item was stolen, we get one in custody and you get your property back.

I know not everyone has access to a computer, so on Thursday, December 17 between 11am and 6pm we will be at Curry's on Channons Hill, Fishponds, giving out details about the Immobiliser scheme.