A 20-YEAR-old man has been jailed for 18 months for a spate of offences, after police in London had tracked him down using DNA tagging spray.

Adberraham Hassan, with an address in Reede Gardens in Dagenham, pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court to taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent, handling stolen goods, driving without insurance and while disqualified, and possession of cocaine.

Hassan was spotted by officers just after 8pm last Thursday 17 May in central London’s Edgware Road area recklessly riding a scooter, going in and out of traffic on both sides of the road with the vehicle registration plate hanging by a wire from the rear.

Officers checked the registration plate, and confirmed it had been stolen from another scooter in Hammersmith.

They tried to speak to Hassan but he drove off at speed. However, before he managed to get away, the officers managed to use DNA tagging spray which connected with his back and the scooter.

He was later tracked down on the back streets of Edgware Road where he was arrested. It was established the scooter had been stolen a few days before in the local area.

While in custody, Hassan was placed under UV lights which highlighted the DNA tagging spray, which proved his involvement in the incident.

He was charged last Friday, and convicted this week.

Detective Superintendent Jess Ruddell said: “Our DNA spray is a very effective tactic in evidentially linking offenders to these crimes and its worth has been proven yet again.”