POLICE have unveiled an invisible weapon in the fight against rural crime.

Richmondshire police have been given £13,000 to supply 300 farms with SmartWater Tracer.

The liquid can be painted on equipment and, if touched, sticks to clothing and skin.

It is almost impossible to remove and cannot be seen by the naked eye.

Items marked with SmartWater will be recorded on a database, allowing police to trace the owners of recovered stolen property.

Each batch of the chemical has its own unique signature, which identifies where the recovered item came from.

Funding for the scheme was provided by Richmondshire Community Safety Partnership.

PC Gary Lewis, of the partnership, said signs warning thieves of the increased risk of being caught were being put up throughout the district.

He said: "Hopefully, not only will the scheme help us recover stolen property, but it will also act as a deterrent.

"Rural crime is a big problem for us. We hope criminals will now think twice before burgling a farm where SmartWater has been used.

"If a thief gets the liquid on their hands it will stay until their skin is shed."

Inspector Barry Smith, Richmondshire police's district commander, said: "This is a major development in the fight against rural crime across Richmondshire."

Richmondshire police vehicles will be fitted with SmartWater scanners and suspects may be scanned during routine patrols.

All prisoners arriving at North Yorkshire custody centres will also be routinely scanned for traces of SmartWater.

Even the most minute trace will lead police to the scene of a crime, officers say.

Members of Richmondshire neighbourhood policing team have been trained in the use of SmartWater and police will start distributing the liquid to farmers.

The initiative was yesterday welcomed by Richard Ellison, regional director of the National Farmers Union in the North-East.

He said: "We support anything that is going to make life a little more difficult for the thieves.

"Farmers and the police now have a duty to make sure schemes like this and Farm Watch are a success."

Police hope to use the chemical in schools in future.

PC Lewis said he would also like the chemical made available to individuals.