Analysing fibres is labour intensive, but often proves to be one of the most conclusive forms of forensic detective work. The main reason for this is that we’re surrounded by fibres - on our clothes, carpets or fluff gathering in a getaway car.

In 1910, a French police officer, Edmond Locard, established the principle that every contact a person makes leaves a behind a traceable clue. His analysis provides the cornerstone of forensic science.

Using Locard’s principle, criminalists analysing fibres from a crime scene might be able to identify the minutest details – type of clothes, source and sometimes even the manufacturer of a fabric. From a tiny single fibre, fibre analysis can often prove conclusively that a suspect was present and help bring about a conviction.