Readers may recall the short item in the December '96 Newsletter 'Don't Let Your Ears Give You Away' in which it was suggested that earprints were as individual as fingerprints and could possibly be used to convict burglars who listened by pressing their ears to doors and windows to ascertain if the occupants were in. Well it's true. Earlier this year a Mr S who used this listening method to perform 13 burglaries that netted him 4000, was caught. As usual at the scenes of his crimes the police dusted for fingerprints but 'a peculiar aspect of an otherwise ordinary series of burglaries' became apparent. There were many other prints, which proved to be earprints. Mr S is the first criminal in Britain to have a mould taken of his ears by police. A perfect match of the mould to the prints led to charges and his conviction. He was sentenced to one year in prison after admitting five of the charges. The CID officer in charge of enquiries said he would encourage fellow officers to watch for similar giveaway marks.