The BBC's Stephen Cape: The idea has worked before

In January, Staffordshire Police unveiled a cut-out of the notorious "flat-cap robber", who was responsible for a string of building society raids across the Midlands.

Last month Christopher Wood, 53, from Buxton, Derbyshire, was jailed for 14 years after a friend recognised him and called police.

Now Avon and Somerset police are to construct the life-size cut-out of an armed robber who has been operating across the south west of England.

The thief has struck banks and building societies in the region, stealing about £40,000.

The BBC'S Stephen Cape: Police hope to repeat the success of the flat cap robber hunt

Police say he is usually armed and on one occasion fired a hand-gun during a raid.

The man is described as "violent and dangerous".

He usually wears a baseball cap with an oversized peak to hide his face.

But police have managed to get a security camera photograph which they will use to create the cut-out.

Tip off

They hope it will jog the minds of potential witnesses.

It follows Staffordshire police's success. The publicity surrounding their cut-out ended a 30-month hunt for Wood, who was branded "Britain's most wanted man".

It was seen by a member of the public, who recognised the 5ft 4in figure as Wood and tipped off the police.

His cut-out has now earned itself a place in a police museum.

Staffordshire Police said it had been put behind bars in a mock-up cell at the force's museum in Stafford on Thursday.

A Staffordshire Police spokesman said the image had been handed over to the museum's curator by officers who took part in the manhunt.