Specialist insurer of churches Ecclesiastical has teamed up with a forensic security product firm to protect Anglican churches it insures from metal thieves – totalling more than 16,500 churches.
SmartWater is a liquid which contains a DNA-style forensic code. Each church will receive its own SmartWater code meaning marked items can be traced back to the owner, and criminals coming into contact with the product can be linked with the crime scene. The solution is invisible under normal light, but glows brightly under UV light making it easily identifiable by the police.
Ecclesiastical is helping churches to use the product in several ways:
To mark large sections of lead roofs and other metals
To mark individual items of property
In spray systems set up to catch metal thieves as part of co-ordinated covert operations with the police service
The theft of metal has reached epidemic proportions, and historically any stolen metal has been extremely difficult for police to trace. The product will now provide a forensic link which cannot be removed by the thieves. A free supply of the product will be sent to every Anglican church in the country that Ecclesiastical insures.
Ecclesiastical is also working with police forces to target scrap dealers. Police will be raising the profile of the product among scrap dealers to ensure they refuse to accept lead stolen from church roofs.
In 2007 alone Ecclesiastical has received almost 1,700 claims at a cost of £5.25m for the theft of mainly lead from church roofs, as well as other items from within the churches. The scrap metal itself hold relatively little financial reward for the thieves, however the break-ins are causing substantial damage to buildings resulting in repair bills of tens of thousands of pounds. Sheffield, Nottingham and Manchester are the hardest-hit areas of the country, suffering more than 200 claims between them in 2007.
What they say
Ecclesiastical’s managing director for UK and Ireland, Steve Wood, said: "The theft of metals from churches has gone on long enough. We’re planning to put a stop to it once and for all with a high-tech security measure proven to get results. Churches are important community buildings and beautiful heritage buildings. We simply can’t stand by while they’re attacked in this way. But with SmartWater in use, any thief considering stealing metals from a church in the near future should think twice."
CEO of SmartWater, Phil Cleary, said: "We are pleased that Ecclesiastical has decided to deploy SmartWater as a deterrent to further metal thefts. SmartWater is currently used, in a variety of forms, by 95% of UK police forces. The use of SmartWater has to date resulted in over 400 convictions and in many of these instances the cases have not even gone to trial owing to the indisputable nature of the evidence."
Sgt Richard Jewell from Northants Police, said: "We are fully equipped to scan for SmartWater and are actively checking detainees for traces of the solution when they pass through police custody areas. If an offender comes into contact with SmartWater we will find them and we will arrest them."
Ecclesiastical has been recommending a wide range of security measures to combat metal thefts for some time:
Make friends with your neighbours – they’re the very best people to keep an eye out.
Consider anti-climb paint, CCTV, intruder alarms or security lighting if your church is particularly at risk.
Restrict vehicle access and remove ladders – make the thieves’ job harder.
Where possible, replace with less expensive materials to make sure there’s no incentive for the thieves to re-visit (The replacement of stolen roof material will require faculty approval. A change of materials may also require consultation with English Heritage on a listed church building, and planning permission if it affects the external appearance.)
Guidance notes for churches about metal thefts are available at: www.ecclesiastical.com/theftofmetal
