Ben KendallMore than 400 buildings in the Broadland district have been marked with a special paint to help prevent crime.Ben Kendall

More than 400 buildings in the Broadland district have been marked with a special paint to help prevent crime.

The initiative, launched last year by Norfolk police and Broadland District Council, has seen 450 victims of crime sign up to help prevent burglaries and catch potential thieves in their area.

Hundreds of homeowners, schools, churches and halls, which have fallen victim to thieves within the last year, have been visited by officers and offered a free SelectaDNA kit, to mark their property.

If items which have been marked are then stolen, police can trace it back to the owners through a nationwide database.

In addition, a number of DNA grease kits have been distributed helping police link offenders directly with a crime scene.

The grease works by being applied to surfaces which offenders are likely to target. If touched the grease will stain skin or clothing for weeks or even months, it can not be wiped away.

If either the surface or clothing is examined within this time, it is possible to tell which property it came from as it contains a unique DNA strand.

Police will continue to roll out the scheme to more homes and businesses over the coming week.