Theft of lead from the roof of a Staffordshire church has been stopped in its tracks thanks to SmartWater evidence.
The lead on All Saints' Church, in Leek, had been marked with SmartWater Technology Ltd's uniquely-coded forensic liquid, allowing officers to identify where it had come from when they tracked it down and arrested a suspect following a spate of thefts.
A 20-year-old woman was subsequently charged with the theft and bailed to appear before magistrates at a later date.
SmartWater's Royal Award-winning forensic technology is now in use at churches and other vulnerable buildings around the UK, with the aim that it will not only result in the conviction of lead thieves but that would-be criminals will come to understand that targeting these buildings puts them at serious risk of being tied to their crimes.
The unique code in each batch of SmartWater tells police precisely which premises stolen lead has been taken from. Traces of the liquid can often also be found on offenders, tying them to the scene of the crime.
Each church insured by Ecclesiastical is provided with a free SmartWater marking kit and signage, both of which must be used.