The forensic examination of fibres and textiles

For the general principles of crime scene examination see Ch 98 by Douglas Elliot. There is a much-hackneyed phrase which, nonetheless, puts in succinct terms the effect that the crime scene examiner can have on the subsequent laboratory forensic examination of exhibits: "Rubbish in, rubbish out", yet this is the unavoidable truth. Forensic scientists are constrained by the input and, as the discovery and collection of potential evidence is normally a police responsibility, it follows that they, and to be more specific, the scene examiners, have the critical role in determining the effectiveness of the laboratory investigation. The recognition, recording and recovery (the three "Rs") of evidence are not trivial matters but are essential as physical evidence can only be examined if its potential presence and value is understood by the crime scene examiner.