Invisible code keeps stone thieves away

Stonework, including iconic dry stone walls, are being plundered at an alarming rate as the value has risen.

In Huddersfield they have hit back at those destroying the centuries-old heritage.

A 12-month project using SmartWater, which is invisible to the naked eye, has seen stone theft drop by 43 per cent.

In 2010 there were 121 thefts of stone from the rural areas around the Kirkburton and Denby Dale policing area.

Thefts have now fallen to 70.

The aptly-named Mark Wall, crime reduction officer for Kirklees, said: “When we started this project with the Huddersfield Crime Prevention Panel and SmartWater, we were confident that it would lead to a reduction in the number of thefts of stone. A 43 per cent reduction in thefts is, however, a great result.

“We would also like to reassure people that while the project as such has ended, we still have active SmartWater in the area and the local NPT will continue to treat the theft of stone very seriously and will be maintaining their regular visits to local stone merchants.”

Phil Cleary, of SmartWater, said: “The police can trace any marked item back to its owner. This makes it far more difficult for a thief trying to sell on stolen goods and significantly increases their chances of detection and arrest. This latest success demonstrates that this message is getting through to the criminal fraternity.”