An initiative to safeguard homes and other buildings in Newcastle from metal thefts is under way.
Some 30 properties in the area were recently marked with Smartwater, an invisible liquid with a unique code which tracks stolen metal back to its rightful owner.
Northumbria Police has teamed up with housing management company Your Homes Newcastle for the scheme, which has been rolled out following a number of metal thefts in the Byker, Walker, and Walkergate areas of the city in recent months.
Your Homes Newcastle’s Trevor Healey said: "Northumbria Police has supplied us with the SmartWater liquid, and we set to work on 30 properties last week. By applying the SmartWater liquid, we are marking the metal up so it can be traced back to its owner.
"We are confident that this will act as a deterrent, and make sure that nobody can make any financial gain by engaging in the theft of metal."
Sgt Tony Hub, of Northumbria Police’s area command for Newcastle, said: " Thefts of these nature cause inconvenience and expense to homeowners and we are working together with partnership agencies to tackle the problem. It is an issue that affects local communities, and is carried out by criminals who think nothing of scaling a roof in full view of residents in order to achieve their aim."
Each time SmartWater is applied to metal, it leaves behind an individual DNA code which is registered to the property owner.
The information is stored on a computer database, which means that metal which has been stolen and recovered by police can be quickly traced.
As part of the scheme, neighbourhood police officers will be visiting scrap dealers to remind them to be extra vigilant when buying scrap metal from customers, and to report anything suspicious to police.
