GROUNDBREAKING technology to tell a suspect’s gender and drug use through their fingerprints could be used by police in Oxfordshire.

Wantage-based forensics firm ArroGen has developed the method after it was unveiled at a conference in California.

And it could soon be working with police and agencies across the county.

The technology works by analysing chemical residues on fingerprints left at crime scenes using certain powders.

It is capable of detecting drugs such as cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, temazepam, marijuana and ecstasy, and some other therapeutic medicines.

Director of the ArroGen headquarters at Technology Park John Owen said: “It is a case of carrying it and working with police and companies to understand how best they can use the technology.

“Police will be going out to crime scenes and they will be receiving finger marks and we will be able to tell police the gender from them.

“We can tell if they are male of female or if they have been ingesting drugs, and whether they are a smoker or taking caffeine, to give them the intelligence for their suspects.

“We hope to be using it in the drug testing industry.

“I am really thrilled that it is coming here and we think it will be revolutionary.”

ArroGen will officially launch the technology in the United States in October from its US subsidiary in Greenville, North Carolina, This will be followed by a November launch in the UK market from Wantage.

CEO Michael Heffernan hailed the new technology as a revolution in the quest to find suspects linked to crimes.

Mr Heffernan said: “This first view of this groundbreaking new application to gain the molecular identity and biomarkers from fingermarks is a game changer.

“It is a high-value-added offering in intelligence gathering and criminal investigation, thus saving time and costs.”