BURGLARS will have no place to hide if they are caught out by a smart sprinkler system being deployed against them.

Northumbria Police have invested in sprinkler systems that can easily be installed in homes or businesses. When someone breaks in, the thief is sprayed with SmartWater.

Each dose of the invisible liquid, which cannot be washed off, lasts for several months and contains a DNA-style profile, which can be used to place a criminal at the scene of a particular burglary.

Custody offices across Newcastle are being fitted with ultra-violet arches, which every prisoner will pass through to show if they have been sprayed with SmartWater during a break-in. The water will glow under the lights.

Assistant Chief Constable Kevin Mathieson said: "We hope SmartWater will help act as a major deterrent to burglars as this initiative means they are at an even greater risk of getting cau-ght.

"The device won't be used randomly, but through crime-pattern analysis and intelligence-led policing."

Meanwhile, homes in Newcastle are also due to have property marked with SmartWater, which means stolen items can be tracked to their rightful owners.

Over the coming months, 4,000 homes in the east and west end of the city will get property marked.

Ultimately, the system will go city-wide, where another 10,000 homes are likely to be marked.