GROUND-breaking technology has been used to help catch lead thieves targeting churches in north Essex.

The Church of England is using nanotechnology to catch people who steal lead from church roofs. The lead is coated with nanopaint, which is visible under ultraviolet light.

Each church has a different blend of particles, to help police identify exactly where the metal came from.

While the price of metal is high, the cost to churches of repairing the damage often costs hundreds or even thousands of pounds, as the thieves damage vital fixings in the process.

Recently the technique proved its worth, when police in Colchester managed to trace some lead in a scrapyard back to a theft from St Leonard’s Church, in Lexden, during March.

Colin Stiff, Colchester’s crime reduction officer, said: “I congratulated this church on their forward-thinking.

“This idea isn’t new, the products have been around for a little while, and the two most common are SmartWater and SelectaDNA.

“Its use is becoming more frequent.

“I know some shops are installing it, so it sprays into a room. It is activated via a button, and will coat someone with the spray, which is invisible without ultra violet light.”