Boris Johnson backing Met's Shropshire Smartwater roll-out

In a first for the capital's police force, the move will see households across the city issued with the Telford-based company's traceable liquid packs under the Met Trace programme.

The move has been backed by the Mayor of London Boris Johnson.

"I am committed to tackling burglary in the capital, and this traceable liquids programme shows that once again the Met Police is at the forefront of innovation when it comes to preventing crime.

Key to the awarding of the contract, which is worth an unspecified sum amounting to millions of pounds, was the track record of SmartWater's technology in the criminal courts, the Met added.

The strategic method for catching criminals which was developed by chief executive Phil Cleary, himself a former police officer, was also taken into account when the deal was awarded.

By building up the visibility of SmartWater products' presence, it is designed to create anxiety in the criminal fraternity, deterring them from stealing marked items.

The Metropolitan Police will immediately begin London-wide searches for traces of SmartWater on offenders and suspected stolen property.

Routine searches of offenders will also take place in police custody suites. This will significantly increase the chances of arrest and conviction for thieves who targeted SmartWater protected premises.

SmartWater's traceable liquid technology marks items of value with their own unique forensic code which is almost impossible to remove.

Any traces of the liquid will glow bright yellow under ultraviolet light, allowing police officers to easily identify any marked property.

The unique code within the traceable liquid provides a clear forensic link back to the owner of stolen goods and also links criminals with the scene of their crime.

Deterrent

By adding the accountability of thieves in this way, SmartWater has established a reputation as a powerful deterrent, and is widely regarded as a Telford success story.

Police forces use SmartWater to protect thousands of homes, and it has been used by businesses, churches and Network Rail to protect local assets.

Mr Cleary added: "As a former police officer, I know criminals hate traceability and SmartWater provides the most potent form available for property.

"We have a proven track record for both detecting and deterring criminal activity and this was a crucial component in the Metropolitan Police's decision to award us the contract.

"The Metropolitan Police were very thorough in their assessment of our concept and we are very aware that there is a lot of work ahead of us, but we are delighted to be a part of this world-first project."