BURNLEY'S heritage is to get its own unique identity as part of modern plans to protect the town's past.

For crime and heritage chiefs have joined forces to bring in a new security system to preserve historic artefacts in the 600-year Towneley Hall and Park.

Paintings by old masters including JMW Turner, artefacts from the ancient world and fossils which are millions of years old could all be in line for the modern anti-crime treatment.

Items have been marked with an invisible substance called Smartwater to deter thieves and ensure Burnley's jewel in the crown continues to sparkle.

Smartwater only shows up under ultra-violet light and each marking is made up of unique particles with its own batch number meaning it is as reliable as DNA.

Councillor Roger Frost, executive member for leisure and culture, said: "This is an imaginative and innovative way to try and deter people from stealing items from Towneley Park and help to cut crime.

"There isn't a big problem with theft from Towneley but it is affected by crime just like everywhere else. We are determined to reduce the cost of crime in whatever way we can, and this security marking is just one of the ways we're doing that."

The move forms part of the council's £3.2million rest-oration programme of the park.

As well as exhibits on display in Towneley Hall stones and other equipment in the park have also been marked with the substance.

The hall was the home of the Towneley family for over 500 years and was sold to the former Burnley Corporation in 1901.

Today, the museum houses a variety of displays featuring natural history, Egyptology, local history, textiles, decorative art and regional furniture. It has 121 engravings by Sir Edwin Landseer which were given to the museum in 1908 PC Simon Evans, crime prevention and architectural liaison officer, said: "A lot of time and attention is being put in to ensure that Towneley Hall and Towneley Park retain their splendour and we're keen to ensure that it is the visitors who benefit from that not thieves.

"Each batch of SmartWater is made up of a unique combination of different microdots and cross-referenced to the owner using a national database, which means we can easily trace stolen property."

Burnley Council refused to say which items were being marked.