NATO warships at the Clyde Naval Base (RN Photo)

Clyde naval base to trial extraordinary Smart Water
Invisible DNA print can be sprayed on anything to prevent theft...

Naval Base crime prevention is to be boosted by a state-of-the-art invisible spray with some remarkable properties.

HMNB Clyde is to take the lead initiative on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, the MoD Police and Babcock Marine in trialling Smart Water.

The innovative Smart Water can be sprayed on anything, cannot be washed off, and is totally invisible to the naked eye.

But it holds a unique DNA print which can be picked up by special police scanners and which can be traced back to a precise location.

It means that if something is removed or stolen and passed on – and even passed on again – police investigating a crime will be able to identify and source any stolen item back to its original location.

It also means that routine checks at the North and South Gates can pinpoint Base-owned material which might be being removed illegally.

MoD Police Chief Inspector Jim Gillen said: “In any large organisation, be it a school, a factory or a naval base, theft is bound to occur.

“These thefts fall into two main categories – things that have genuine value and things that are just simply easy to steal. And obviously, on a naval base, there are things of significantly more value.”

He went on: “This is a very pro-active approach to discouraging theft. Smart Water can be applied to anything and our scanners will pick it up right away and every time.

“And the fact that it is invisible means that it is a much more advanced approach than the old ‘This Is the Property of the Ministry of Defence’ stamp. A really clever deterrent.”

Should it prove a success, the technique could be used in any Ministry of Defence establishment – and because of its unique DNA print, could establish whether an item was removed from the Clyde, Portsmouth or Devonport.

Chief Inspector Gillen said: “Anything new in our efforts to safeguard Ministry of Defence property and equipment has to be welcomed – and Smart Water is a surprisingly simple and smart way of doing that.”