BT aim to crack down on cable thieves with invisible paint

Jul 29 2010 The Journal

BT is using an invisible coded paint to crack down on cable thefts throughout the North East and beyond.

The company says that theft of the cable has become a growing problem nationwide, as thieves target the copper within the cables to take advantage of rising scrap copper prices. There was a 9% rise in such incidents last year.

It has turned to British firm SmartWater Technology to resolve the problem, coating the cables with a forensically-coded invisible paint which glows under ultra-violet light.

It is almost impossible to remove and transfers to those who come into contact with the stolen property. Since setting up in 1996, the company has worked with police forces and companies such as Asda, Barclays, Lloyds TSB and Philips, and Network Rail deployed the technology on its own cables two months ago.

Bernie Auguste, head of security for BT’s local network business Openreach, said: “Any criminal targeting the BT network in the North East now risks being invisibly ‘tagged’ with SmartWater, meaning that the police can trace them, and any stolen cable or equipment, back to the scene of the crime.

“Cable theft affects not only us as a business, but all people across the region relying on access to phones and broadband. We are keen to use this technology in the North East where there have been a number of cases of cable theft.”

Openreach is also lining up mobile patrols of network sites, arranging “sting” operations and installing new locks for manholes.

Detective Inspector Robin Conway from British Transport Police said: “Anyone arrested for metal theft will be examined for traces of SmartWater. A search will be made of the person’s house and any property, including vehicles, with traces of SmartWater on them, is likely to be seized by police. Scrap metal dealers will also be visited regularly to ensure they are assisting British Transport Police in identifying criminals attempting to sell stolen metal.”