CRIME scenes involving a fatal stabbing and a suspected abduction were set up for students to investigate.

Level 3 BCoT forensic science students were tasked with examining the scenes, set up by Level 2 students, at the Ex-Servicemen’s Club in New Road, Basingstoke.

Other departments from the college, in Worting Road, were also involved in the week-long event, including media make-up and construction students.

Six different crime scenes were set up, including a hotel room where a woman had been fatally stabbed, a gym locker where possible drug-dealing had taken place, and a garage where a woman was found hanged in suspicious circumstances.

Media students took official photographs to be used as post-mortem evidence and made videos of the scenes.

Forensic science students then had to piece together their findings to try to work out what had happened.

Student Simone Quinn said: “The whole crime scene week was an absolutely invaluable experience.

“I really enjoyed taking my turn as the scene-of-crime officer as it pushed me to lead from the front and give direction.

“I learned how to collect, process and analyse evidence, and even though it was a mock crime scene, it felt very real to me.”

Fellow learner Jackie Wills said: “This has given me a real insight into what it would be like if I decided to follow a career in forensics.

“We had to start from nowhere and find out why the victim was stabbed and what the motives were.

“It was a real challenge and I’ve definitely learned a lot about working with a team.”

Jo Hatton, a lecturer in science at BCoT, who was in charge of the major crime week, said: “The reason we hold crime week is to give students a taste of what it is like to work in a real-life forensic environment (even though it is a mock-up).

“Not only does it increase the students’ employability skills, it teaches them the importance of teamwork, team management and priority-setting.

“They learn a whole range of new skills during the week as the work they do is so hands-on. This would simply not be possible in the classroom.

“The feedback I have had from the students is that they find the whole experience invaluable – one described it as ‘opening up a whole new world’.

“This makes all the hard work from everyone at the college who helps put this week together so worthwhile.”