G(r)ait way to solve a crime

As if fingerprints, palm prints, ear prints, dental patterns, DNA testing and handwriting weren't enough ways to identify someone - usually of the criminal persuasion - scientists have been working on the theory that everyone has a signature walk. In Britain £500,000 is being spent on "automatic gait recognition" research - so images captured on CCTV can be compared against the walk of a suspect. This has obvious advantages - given that most criminals take great pains to disguise their facial features when carrying out criminal acts. Will they now be forced to try to limp - to shoot themselves in the foot, or hit themselves with a sledgehammer so their walk is wonky? What if they put inserts in their shoes? Work is being done in various countries around the world - using radar guns which send out a pulse of energy and receives signals bounced off the subject. The system can recognise and capture the different patterns during natural walking movements - and these are replayed in the form of matchstick men. The research is still in its fledgling state and has a way to go before a national database of gaits is created - and proved to be an effective and safe evidence method.