A SUSPECTED poisoning in a cafe and a missing student were just two of the crime scene scenarios investigated by college students.

The forensic science students from Basingstoke College of Technology took part in the annual event at the Ex-Servicemen’s Club in town.

Four major crime scenes were set up at the venue, including a university party where a vulnerable student had gone missing and an office where a cleaner had been found unconscious.

The first year students from the college, in Worting Road, were given three days to investigate the scenes which were set up by second year learners.

They followed all procedures and protocol as if they were in a real crime scene investigation, to try and establish what had happened.

Following three days of meticulous investigation, students took all the evidence they had gathered back to the lab at BCoT for analysis to piece together the evidence and draw their conclusions.

The teams then put together a court report of their findings for barristers from a local law court who visited BCoT on May 19 to hear the reports and offer feedback.

Michael Roberts, a level 3 student, said: “I hope to progress onto university after I have finished at BCoT. I think that gaining practical experience like this will prepare me better for higher education than a purely academic course would. I have learned so much in the classroom during my time at college so it was great to get the chance to put it all into practice.”

Paula Purdue, science technician at the college, said she was delighted with the professional way students approached the crime scene investigations.