SmartWater spray aimed to deter cable thieves

摘要

The battle against cable theft has taken a new turn with Network Rail introducing SmartWater forensic spray devices at a number of locations, including St Helens and Nuneaton. The sprays, when activated, cover offenders in a chemically-coded liquid, which will cover their skin, clothing and hair. It seems invisible, but the effect can be seen using ultra-violet light, often several weeks after cable has been stolen. To connect a suspect to a particular area, each mile of track will be given its own unique chemical code and logged on GPS trackers, so if it is stolen it can be traced back to its point of origin.