AN anti-slash vest, developed in Bolton to deal with the rising problem of knife crime, could soon be used to protect butchers, bikers and timber merchants.

The new knife-proof smart material was originally created to protect the police, armed forces and security personnel.

And a professor from the University of Bolton is leading the project into developing Home Office-approved SARK material.

Professor Subhash Anand of the University of Bolton’s Institute for Materials Research and Innovation is working with Future Textiles in Derbyshire, to protect other “at risk” professions.

He said: “When Future Textiles started talking to customers they realised there were other applications for knife-resistant materials.

“SARK makes an ideal protective layer clothing fabric for motorcyclists, the same properties that prevent knife-slash wounds will give greater protection to a motorcyclist’s flesh in the event of an accident.

“Likewise, butchers and timber merchants currently use chain-mail gloves which damage the skin. SARK material would give comparable protection but in a breathable-fabric glove. We have also been talking to companies in Nordic countries producing clothing for hunters.”

Future Textiles has worked with the University of Bolton on SARK since the smart material’s inception in 2008.

It was originally developed to protect wearers from knife attacks and gives greater protection than the stab-proof vests traditionally used by police, armed forces and security personnel.

It covers the arms, neck and the head, with a hood. SARK also has an antimicrobial coating to protect against viruses such as MRSA.

Future Textiles owner Aiden Tracy said: “We are also working on developing the fabric to be used in the automotive industry as a protection cover for lorries, which are currently vulnerable to thieves slashing open their tarpaulins and stealing loads.”