A COUNCIL and police officers have stepped up their fight against thieves targeting town allotments.

Ferryhill Town Council and Ferryhill police are using the Smart Water property marking system to boost security at local sites.

Sergeant Kelvin Vincent and Marian Hockworth, the police community safety officer for Ferryhill, visited Paxton Street Allotments to spray allotment holders' tools and other equipment with Smart Water.

The coding system contains a DNA-style chemical code that is naked to the eye but can be detected under ultra- violet light.