CSI-style operation launched to combat metal theft

A CITY council has undertaken a CSI-style operation to forensically tag drain covers to deter metal thieves.

Gully covers – the grates over drains – in Birmingham will be marked with forensic grease, which is visible under ultraviolet light, under the scheme run by the city council and contractor Amey.

After an grills have been identified as stolen the council will even be able to identify which ward of the city they came from.

Each batch of the forensic grease has a different molecular structure, allowing a laboratory to identify which batch the grease comes from if found on a stolen cover.

John Sunderland, from Amey, said: “Stolen gully covers are a major threat to the safety of all road users.”

Police said metal theft was having a “significant impact” in the region.

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