A Norfolk business is looking to recruit 100,000 students from across the country to take part in a fingerprint world record attempt.

Taverham-based Right Angle Events has been urging schools both locally, and nationwide, to help them set the record for the amount of fingerprints identified in one day – with 11,000 young people signed up so far.

Supported by the Guinness Book of Records, the former EDP Future50 firm, which uses crime scene investigations as its inspiration for corporate team building exercises, is attempting to set the record during National Science Week from March 14 to the 23.

It comes after the firm secured a major contract with the Chinese government in April last year to teach thousands of students from the Far East.

In a deal worth £25,000, the firm will teach 3,500 students from China. It aims to grow its turnover from £190,000 to £250,000.

Steve Gaskin, a managing director of the firm and a former senior Scotland Yard officer said: 'There has been an unprecedented response to this exciting world record attempt to identify fingerprints. Years ago, fingerprint science would have been the province of professionals. Now we are offering the chance for any student aged between 5-18 years to challenge those professionals.'

Students will get the chance to see how all fingerprints are different and learn how forensic science works, Mr Gaskin added.

Meanwhile, teachers have been encouraged to select a charity to benefit from the world record attempt, with children's cancer charity CLIC Sargent and the Foodbank chosen.

It costs £1.50 per child to take part, with self-delivery packs, designed by ex Scotland Yard Detectives, sent out nearer the time.

Theses will include finger printing kits, charts, magnifiers for identification and suspect forms, with four age appropriate cases that the students will follow.

Mr Gaskin said that the whole philosophy of the event is to show students how science is applied practically in the real world.