A 28-YEAR-OLD man has been charged after being accused of stealing a bicycle in a police trap.
Officers planted a mountain bike coated in SmartWater solution in various areas of Edinburgh.
The solution carries a unique code only visible under UV light which is brushed on to items to link owners and stolen property.
Since September, thousands of homes have been provided with the specially designed chemical marking solution to prevent housebreakings in areas that had been previously identified as a hotspot for acquisitive crime offences.
However, Police Scotland and SmartWater have also been utilising opportunities to proactively target those involved in crimes of this nature.
On November 21, the bike was stolen from outside Edinburgh University Library. Police were able to trace the stolen property to an address in Hyvot Gardens the following day and detained a man in connection with the theft.
Using the SmartWater UV lamp the man was found to be covered in the marking solution.
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