Auto DNA set to foil thieves

08th December 2006

Scientists have developed a vehicle marking liquid which, the maker claims, is superior to anything previously seen.

The fluid, which glows under UV light, is dabbed on to cars and parts. It contains tiny dots that reveal a traceable serial number under a microscope. But while the principle is not new, the contents of each £40 tub of SelectaDNA have a unique molecular make-up.

Even if police can't spot the microdots on a resprayed stolen car, they can take swabs and have these checked for the DNA liquid. The system is used to mark stolen bank notes, and there is less than a one in a billion chance of two markers being the same.