Tibberton joins ‘SmartWater’ army
Villagers in Tibberton have joined the district’s army of SmartWater households fighting back against thieves and burglars.
Wychavon has been working with Tibberton Parish Council and West Mercia Police to hand out SmartWater kits to residents to help deter criminals from targeting the area.
More than 70% of households quickly signed up to the scheme meaning Tibberton has now officially become Wychavon’s 29th SmartWater Village.
SmartWater is a colourless liquid solution that can be applied to the surfaces of belongings and valuables. It leaves a unique code which is almost impossible to remove and can only be viewed under ultraviolet light.
Each household signed up to the scheme has been given a kit containing enough liquid to mark up to 75 items.
Marked items are then registered with a national database so if items are stolen, the rightful owner can easily be identified, and the property returned. SmartWater deters criminals as they know stealing SmartWater marked property makes it more likely they will be caught and convicted.
Signs have been installed around Tibberton to warn criminals it is a SmartWater village and households have been given window stickers as well.
The packs were funded by Tibberton Parish Council and West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion. Wychavon's Community Safety team has been supporting Tibberton Parish Council to promote the scheme to residents.
It is part of West Mercia Police’s ‘We don’t buy crime’ initiative which is aimed at deterring acquisitive crime, which includes burglary, theft, robbery and shoplifting.
Cllr Rob Adams, Executive Board Member for Stronger Communities, Culture and Sport on Wychavon District Council, said: “Congratulations to Tibberton on joining Wychavon’s SmartWater army. Anything we can do to help protect people’s property and make life more difficult for criminals is a good thing. I’d encourage other areas to explore this opportunity to make Wychavon an even safe place to live, work and visit.”
Robbie Hazlehurst, Chair of Tibberton Parish Council, said: “The fact the parish is so close to the motorway makes it quite easy for people out of the area to access the village and commit crime. We wanted to do something to make it as difficult as possible for them to do that and the SmartWater scheme has been well received by residents who were eager to sign up.”
Other parishes or villages interested in becoming SmartWater villages should email
