It's a high-tech crime reduction tool in the form of an inivisible liquid that can be used to mark most household items. It's good news for home owners and bad news for burglars - the liquid has a forensic fingerprint and if marked items are stolen, police can quickly identify who they belong to. But SmartWater also leaves a lasting trace on a criminal that can positively link them back to a crime scene.

Each SmartWater marking kit has a unique genetic code that links the marked items to a particular home. SmartWater is odourless and colourless and because it is only visible under ultra violet light, it can be used to mark property from jewellery to computers. Stolen property that is later recovered is checked by police for SmartWater then traced back to its owner who is listed on a special database. And only a tiny quantity is needed to identify the unique code and return stolen property or tie a criminal to a crime.

Every marking kit contains window stickers that will act as a clear message to any potential burglar that the property inside is protected by SmartWater.

Police are warning would-be thieves that everyone who is arrested is checked under Ultra Violet light when they are taken into custody. Any Smartwater that has transferred onto a suspect's skin or clothes will be illuminated, linking them to the property in question.

Evidence from other areas of the country where SmartWater is widely used has shown that it is a proven deterrent to criminals, who know that it can lead to them being caught and prosecuted.

Northamptonshire Police and many local authorities including Wellingborough, Northampton and Kettering have already teamed up to give away thousands of SmartWater kits to people who live in burglary hot spot areas. Many businesses, schools, churches, private homes and other buildings around the county are also protected by SmartWater.