Runaway Northamptonshire off-road bike criminals to be tagged with DNA spray to help police catch them MONTHS later

Police in Northamptonshire are trialling a system that will see them tag criminals who are getting away from them with a special invisible spray that stays active for months on clothing or skin.

The SelectaDNA canisters are due to be carried in twelve police cars by trained officers that will allow them to trace criminals even after they have got away.

It is hoped that the new system could help police catch those who get away on motorbikes when it's not safe or possible for officers to follow them.

Safer Roads Team officer PC Dave Lee is one of those officers who is due to carry the new system in his vehicle.

He said: "We went to the Met to see what they were doing about motorbike crime and what was and wasn't working for them.

"Because they're out in cars they needed something that, if they see any illegal motorbikes, they can point and shoot.

"This works from a distance of eight metres and it covers them in DNA."

Each canister has its own unique liquid which can be traced back to an individual officer and a single incident. If, at a later date, an offender is caught and scanned with a special UV light, the spray will show up. Officers can also visit the homes of suspects and seize clothing to see if it has the tagging liquid on it.

A sample can then be taken and forensically analysed to link the suspect to a specific incident.

The spray lasts on clothes for months, even when washed, and on skin for weeks.

It is hoped that the system will be the latest weapon in the force's fight against the rising problem of illegal off-road bikes and crime committed by those riding them. It is now thought that a significant number of drug dealers are turning to the bikes to allow them to make a quick getaway.

It comes just a day after the Corby crusher was used for the first time to destroy bikes confiscated by police officers.