We are constantly looking for new ways to enhance the service we offer to our customers at Woodville Co-operative Funeralcare and to improve how we operate.

One example of this is our link-up with Legacy Expressions which enables families to preserve the fingerprint of a loved one for posterity on jewellery and other gifts.

Using technology developed in Canada, an advanced digital scanner produces a perfect image of the fingerprint and sends it via Bluetooth to an iPhone or Android device. It is then transferred onto glass, silver or gold to create unique keepsakes for families to treasure.

It makes the process of taking an imprint so much easier and quicker.

Glen Speak, general manager of Woodville Co-operative Funeralcare, said: “In the past the way we could take a fingerprint would be to use ink or putty which is messy and also means having to move the deceased. This new process is a fast, clean and dignified way of obtaining exceptional results.

“It is the first technology of its kind to be used in the UK funeral sector and we are proud to be leading the way in offering this innovative service.”

The Legacy Expressions range includes pendants, lockets, rings, memory tags, cufflinks, ornaments and picture frames which can all be personalised with a relative’s fingerprint and a special message.

We hope these lasting mementoes help bring comfort to the bereaved, but they can also be used to celebrate happy occasions such as weddings. You could include the fingerprints of a couple with their names and photographs, or even a baby’s footprint to mark a christening. The choice is yours.

Legacy Expressions is run by David Gosling who comes from a well-known family of jewellers specialising in Blue John Stone.

He explained: “The fingerprint scans are sent to Canada and all the products are beautifully made in Ontario. The turnaround is quick – we were told two to three weeks maximum, but many items come back within ten days of being ordered.”

For more information call Woodville Co-operative Funeralcare on 01283 217237.