A NEW hi-tech crime deterrent is being unveiled in Southampton today in a move to catch criminals.
SmartWater can be painted onto valuables to leave a forensic fingerprint encoded with the owner's details which is virtually impossible to remove from skin, clothing or footwear.
The solution is undetectable under normal light but shows up as fluorescent under ultraviolet (UV) light.
Police stations in South-ampton have been provided with special UV lights to detect traces of SmartWater on criminals thanks to funding from Southampton's Safe City Partnership.
Crime prevention officer Sarah Badham said: "Burg-lary within Southampton is fortunately relatively low, but we have decided to introduce SmartWater across the city firstly to try to reduce incidents of burglary and theft, but also as a measure to reunite stolen property with the lawful owner.''
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