Police testing new tagging spray to catch scooter gangs

Spray to tag suspects with unique chemical footprint linking them to crime scene

Police testing new tagging spray to catch scooter gangs

POLICE are aiming to clamp down on scooter gangs with a new spray which will link them to crime scenes.

The spray tags clothing and objects with a unique chemical footprint visible only under ultraviolet light, the BBC has reported.

The news comes amid a scooter-enabled crime wave in the capital, often targeting other riders to steal their bikes.

Recently revealed figures showed there were 8,192 crimes involving scooters in London in the first five months of 2017, an average of 54 a day. In 2016 there were 31 a day.

Last month a 16-year-old was arrested following a series of acid attacks carried out against London delivery riders within a 90-minute period.

Visordown reported last week how a motorcyclist's chained-up Ducati Panigale was stolen from outside his home in Tooting by a knife-wielding gang who also threatened to break in.