Staffordshire Firm Leading the Fight in Halting Cable Theft

A Rugeley-based technology firm has designed a unique traceable fluid that’s already helped with the conviction of cable thieves, who are costing the UK over £16 million a year.

RedWeb Technologies, which is working alongside the British Transport Police, have designed an indelible fluid that’s applied to the surface of metal. The spray works by transferring onto the skin, clothing or hair of a perpetrator and remains detectable for over six months.

The forensic taggent contains a unique code that’s traceable to the location of where the spray was applied to the metal. The fluid will glow bright red under a UV light, signalling that the suspected criminal had an involvement with the theft by coming into contact with the dye.

According to the Transport Committee, in 2011, over 35,000 National Rail services were cancelled or delayed as a result of metal theft.

Chris Taylor, Managing Director of RedWeb Technologies, said: “We are very pleased to be helping the police in catching these criminals who are affecting everybody in one way or another.

“We hope that our forensic taggent is assisting the police with irrefutable evidence in order to secure convictions.”

RedWeb Technologies’ Advanced Molecular Taggent Technology (AMTT) fluid has recently led to a conviction in Wales, where the culprit’s hands showed evidence under an ultraviolet light of coming into contact with the cable that had been stolen.

Mark Langman, Route Managing Director for Network Rail, said: “Cable theft causes massive disruption to rail passengers and freight. These crimes aren’t just an inconvenience; they are costing our economy millions of pounds each year.”

 

RedWeb Technologies is the only forensic taggent supplier to hold a British Standard Institution accreditation for their analysis laboratory.