Telford-based SmartWater Technology Ltd has been presented with a prestigious award by senior figures within the UK’s light railways sector.
The crime fighting company scooped Innovation of the Year at the 2009 Light Railway Awards after railway bosses chose to honour SmartWater for its ongoing work to help suppress the theft of railway cable. The event was held at The Brewery in Central London and hosted by BBC news presenter Nick Owen.
The railway sector has been hit particularly hard by rises in the global prices of metal which has resulted in an increase in recorded thefts. Last year the theft of copper cabling from railways caused more than 2,500 hours of delays to commuters. The scale of the problem is so significant that the British Transport Police, who are heading up a UK-wide taskforce to clamp down on metal theft, have declared it the second biggest threat to the UK infrastructure after terrorism.
Judges were impressed by SmartWater’s ability to provide Police with robust forensic evidence to prove where stolen metal has come from, thus enabling them to prosecute offenders. Judges also applauded SmartWater’s efforts in partnering with the scrap metal and recycling sectors to help protect them from being duped into buying stolen metals. All EMR and SITA recycling depots in the UK now check for SmartWater, and if found, they are refusing to handle it. This is cutting off the means for thieves to sell on stolen goods and removing the point of stealing it in the first place.
SmartWater places a unique forensic signature onto trackside metals, such as signalling and earthing cables, and fixed metal structures. The solution is only visible under ultraviolet (UV) light, and unlike DNA-based products SmartWater is highly resistant to sunlight, which makes it ideal for use on railway.
SmartWater Chief Executive Phil Cleary, who accepted the award at the event, said: “We are delighted to receive both the award and the recognition from the railway industry that SmartWater is considered to be such an important breakthrough. We will continue to work closely with the Police, railway networks and metal receivers to put pressure on criminals who target metals.”
For more details, please contact Dave Reynolds on 01952 204 114 or email davereynolds@smartwater.com