30,000 of Britain’s Churches have Roofs Painted with "Nanopaint" to Prevent Lead Theft

[steven johnson]

Insurance claims for metal thefts from churches has rose from just 12 in 2002 to more than 2,500 last year. A special paint only visible under UV light was developed by Phil Cleary, a former police officer, and his brother Mike, a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. It was unique for each church and allowed for the identification of stolen lead in scrap yards. Gold isn't the only metal whose price is spiking. Scrap lead peaking at $2,171 a ton in the UK.

THE Church of England is using nanotechnology – the science of very small things – to fight thieves who strip lead and other valuable metals from the roofs of its ancient buildings.

More than 30,000 of Britain’s 44,000 churches have had their roofs coated in a layer of “nanopaint”, which is visible only under ultraviolet light.

Each church has a different blend of microscopic particles, giving its metal a unique “label”. This enables police to identify church lead found in any haul of suspect scrap, even if it has been melted down.

Recently, church authorities scored a victory in the battle against thieves with the conviction of three men for stealing lead from the roof of St Leonard’s church in Colchester, Essex.

Church of England fights fiddlers on the roof

[realisticphish]

1. Interesting story, and awesome headline

[snagglepuss]

2. Interesting . thanks for posting. nt