8:52am Monday 16th November 2009
By Helen Russell
POLICE clamping down on the sale of stolen goods visited one of the region’s most popular car boot sales yesterday.
Representatives from Trading Standards, and SmartWater Forensic Coding Systems, joined officers at Sedgefield Racecourse, County Durham, to raise awareness of Smart Water and check for items marked with the substance.
Plain-clothed police officers worked undercover, while uniformed officers worked in pairs checking electrical goods and tools on stalls.
No stolen items were found, but it was the first time many stallholders had heard of Smart Water, and most were keen on the idea.
The colourless solution is used to mark possessions and glows fluorescent green under ultraviolet light.
Each Smart Water kit contains a unique code that is registered to the user’s address.
Sedgefield’s beat sergeant, Brian O’Connor, said yesterday’s operation was part of Durham Police’s Operation Winter Nights campaign, which aims to cut burglaries.
He said: “This sends out a positive message to members of the public that we are doing our best to try and detect stolen goods. We will proactively target outlets such as car boot sales. Although nothing was found during this operation, hopefully it will act as a deterrent against burglary and selling stolen items.”
Kevin Drewett, from Smart Water, said: “This operation went very well in terms of raising awareness of Smart Water, and showing people that the police are looking for it.
“It lets the public know how to protect their valuables, and acts as a warning to the criminal fraternity.
“We will be carrying out periodic checks on car boot sales and second-hand shops elsewhere in the area and throughout the country as part of the police strategy to reduce burglary.”
Every school in Darlington has received a Smart Water kit to reduce crime. Last year, police in Stockton used the substance to security mark metal across the town.
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