PUPILS from Mosspits Lane primary school, in Wavertree, got to play detective during a police forensics demonstration at Wavertree’s Blue Coat School.

The Mosspits pupils were invited to a morning meeting by Blue Coat headteacher SandyTittershill, where they were briefed on a “crime” which had supposedly taken place in the school’s chapel earlier that day. In the mock-up scenario which was described by Mr Tittershill, a collection for the RSPCA – taken during that morning’s assembly – had disappeared, sometime between being left at the front of the chapel and being collected just a few minutes later by the site manager.

The pupils were presented with the crime scene and then asked to assist the police in solving the crime.

Officers from the Merseyside Police Crime Scene Investigation Unit cordoned off a “crime scene” behind lines of police tape, and items of evidence, such as a chocolate bar wrapper, shopping list, blood and a footprint were placed at the scene.

Five suspects, all with different motives based on witness statements taken by the police, were also identified and the pupils then split into groups to see if they could find the culprit using interviews, lab-based activities and various forensic techniques.

The event was part of a Science Week at the school, which has specialist science and maths status.