PIGEON fanciers are turning to DNA and artificial insemination techniques because of an increasing trade in prized birds being stolen to order.

Those involved in the sport say the trade is thriving in the North-East and they have accused police of failing to get to grips with the problem.

Prize-winning birds can fetch tens of thousands of pounds, but identifying rings attached to them when they are young make it almost impossible for them to be raced again once stolen.

Instead, they are usually taken for the offspring that can be bred from them in the hope they will pass on their racing genes.

Now some fanciers are using science to extract DNA from their birds so they can be traced to their owners.

Darlington pigeon breeder John Atkins said: "People are stealing birds to order, but the police generally don't want to know."

He said a tail feather from a pigeon could be sent away for analysis in order to obtain a record of its DNA print.

Technology is also available to extract sperm from cock pigeons, which can be kept in cold storage and used to artificially inseminate females to continue a prize winning line if a bird is stolen.

Dr Tim Lovel, vice-president of the North-East Homing Union, which regulates the sport in the region, said: "The technology has moved on and it is now possible to collect and freeze sperm from cock birds so that if a bird has been lost or stolen or dies you can preserve a champion bird.

"People do also take DNA from pigeons so that if its identifying ring has been cut off, you can still prove it is yours."

Durham Police recorded 21 incidents of thefts of pigeons across the county in the 12 months to the end of March.

A spokesman said it was impossible to say how many of those were stolen to order.

North Yorkshire Police said it had 20 reported incidents of pigeon thefts in the same period and Cleveland Police five.

Northumbria Police said no figures were available for such thefts in their area.