Tiny microchips are making people on a huge estate feel more secure by putting burglars off raiding their homes.

Large numbers of the chips, no bigger than a pinhead, are being hidden on householders' televisions, video recorders and other goods.

Burglars have next to no chance of spotting them but if the goods are recovered it improves the chances of thieves being convicted. The chips contain a pin number unique to each household and cannot be tampered-with.

Bradford police have issued the chips to most of the 1,000 households on the Holme Wood estate and are so pleased with the results they want to extend the scheme.

Community Safety Sergeant Ian Dellow said: "We have put the chips into 809 houses and burglaries are coming down, though we don't have official figures yet."

He believes the microchips are far and away a better deterrent than ultra-violet markings or other means of identifying property, which burglars can sometimes find ways round.

"We've got a room at the police station choc-a-bloc with stuff we know is stolen but we don't know whose it is," he said.

"When people are burgled they automatically assume they won't get their property back. If you don't know the serial number of your CD player there is no way of proving that any we find is yours. The chips are a sure-fire way of proving something belongs to you."

This is a huge deterrent to would-be burglars, who would rather not take the risk and go elsewhere instead.

So the campaign includes stickers on houses and strong aluminium street signs all over the estate, warning thieves about the chips.

"This has a two-fold effect," said Sgt Dellow. "It means burglars tend to avoid the area and it also reassures the residents, reducing fear of crime."

When householders are given the chips, they get a lipstick-sized phial containing what looks like black sago pudding - vast numbers of particles held in a white bonding solution.

When applied to property, they can barely be seen but are permanently stuck in place.

A thief's chances of finding them all are minute.

"But, when we search a suspect's house, we only have to find one chip to make an arrest," said Sgt Dellow.

Other housing trusts are already showing a strong interest and are in discussions about including the chips in tenants' welcome packs.

For burglary can be expensive for landlords, increasing insurance and repairs costs.

"If they can save the £500 they might have to spend repairing burglars' damage, they can spend that on extra amenities for the estate," said Sgt Dellow.

The microchips scheme, run by the Bradford South Anti-Crime Partnership, is part of a co-ordinated approach to tackling crime and reassuring residents under the £600,000 Holme Wood Forward Initiative.

As well as targeting known criminals in the area, police are providing discounted safety locks, personal attack alarms, time switches and low-energy bulbs.

There will be improved street lighting and regular patrols by police armed with video cameras as well as a range of community and education initiatives.

"When police visit people as part of the project it provides a positive experience for residents," said Sgt Dellow.

"We're offering something for free which helps make them feel more secure and, at the same time, we can talk to them about other crime issues as well as listen to them and find out about the problems they encounter in everyday life.

"The vast majority of people on the estate are fed up of crime and are supportive of the police. They want to help and we have had nothing but praise from the public."

The Rev Gordon Dey, of St Christopher's in Holme Wood, said: "Anything that makes people, particularly the elderly, feel more secure is a good thing.

"The most important thing is to ensure that the actions being taken by the police are sustained and that the security of residents here continues to be a priority."