A police officer dubbed "Memory Man" by his colleagues has an uncanny knack for spotting wanted faces - even when they are hiding under face masks during the pandemic.
Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Andy Pope, has identified more than 2,100 suspects across the West Midlands region.
The super spotter, 43, was among nominees including Captain Tom Moore and Marcus Rashford when he was tipped for an Amplifon award in honour of his uncanny gift this year.
PCSO Pope puts his talent down to sheer "instinct" and has been recognising criminals since 2012. But he revealed the secret to his success rate is "impossible to explain."
By 2018 he had caught sight of 1,000 suspects and he sailed past the 2,000 mark earlier this year. He is already eyeing up the next target of having spotted 2,500 by 2022.
The officer regularly patrols in and around transport hubs in Birmingham and the surrounding areas as part of the Safer Travel Partnership team.
Even with public movement restricted to curb the spread of coronavirus, he has remained on the lookout for wanted faces he memorises from CCTV, video stills and police briefings.
"Although it’s been a year like no other, I’ve still carried on as usual with the same preparation coming onto a shift," said PCSO Pope, from Redditch.
"I’ve made sure I’m fully updated on the images of people wanted by the force, and it’s paid off.
"I’ve even been able to spot some in Birmingham city centre while they’ve been wearing face coverings.
"I have been asked many times how, but it’s impossible to explain. It’s just an instinct that is the person and thankfully it’s proven right.
"The most important thing is being able to assist in catching criminals and keeping the public safe, especially given the year it has been."
The amazing talent also landed the officer a finalist position in the Against All Odds category of the Amplifon Awards For Brave Britons 2020.
Winners in some of the other categories included free kids meals hero footballer Marcus Rashford and 100-year-old WW2 veteran charity fundraiser Captain Sir Tom Moore.
