Bournemouth University students investigate terrorist bomb plot

Bournemouth University (BU) forensics students recently took part in a terrorist bomb exercise at an interactive education centre - just one example of the professional practice that BU gives its' students.

BU students got a taste for real-life crime scene investigation at Streetwise in Bournemouth as BU took over the facility and set up a terrorist bomb plot scenario.

Alex Otto, Demonstrator in Forensic Sciences who organised the exercise, explained: "Students worked as groups in the roles of Crime Scene Managers, photographers and Crime Scene Investigators (CSIs) and went in to investigate various different crime scene scenarios."

Streetwise is an interactive education centre, sponsored by Liverpool Victoria, with a full sized barn, beach, bus, train and heath. In each setting BU set up a different scene, including a terrorist safe-house, bomb factory and suicide bomber.

As budding CSIs scoured for clues, Digital Forensics students investigated mobile phones and computer evidence.

Retired Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) and BU guest lecturer Martyn Underhill acted as SIO on the exercises, giving students the benefit of his experience.

Martyn said: "The students learn how to handle exhibits and deal with scene management, which is really difficult. They learn it in up-to-date scenarios because terrorism is a big threat to us at the moment."

And the work didn't stop when the students left Streetwise. They took samples such as bullets and blood swabs away with them to examine in the lab.

Forensic student Samantha Kunert, who hopes to pursue a career with the police, said: "We learn how to take the evidence, how to package it and who we need to send off for."

Fellow student Rebecca Lloyd added: "We actually put our theory to the test. We used what we learnt in lectures and actually put it into practice. This particular scenario is very current."

For more information about our forensic undergraduate, postgraduate and short course options, please contact the askBU Enquiries Service on +44 (0)1202 961916 or visit
www.bournemouth.ac.uk/courses