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Laboratories providing five East Midlands police forces with forensic services have been upgraded with new kit – including a new machine which improves the ability to detect fingerprints on knives.

The lab was officially opened by Chief Constable Craig Guildford, of Nottinghamshire Police, Caroline Henry, Nottinghamshire police and crime commissioner, and managers from East Midlands special operations unit.

The EMSOU forensics team works on about 2,800 cases per year, finding answers for the victims of crime across Nottinghamshire, as well as Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire.

The refurbishment has created more space for new equipment, futureproofed the area for more kit and been rearranged for better ways of working.

Nottinghamshire police and crime commissioner Caroline Henry and chief constable Craig Guildford cut the ribbon to open the newly refurbished forensic labs

An improved layout means better professional discussions between forensic teams can take place about exhibits and cases, which has cut down process times, allowing a better service to the forces and victims of crime.

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Virginia Fletcher, forensics apprentice, said: “The lab refurbishments are just amazing, they were much needed and have made our base a much nicer place to work.

“Working with our managers, we have been able to create a culture of pride within our workspace, while bringing leading technology into our region that will really help with investigations.”

One piece of kit in particular is leading the way in forensic investigations and is able to better highlight fingerprints that appear on knives.

Andrew Price, EMSOU director of corporate, forensic and technical services, said: “Stories around knife crime seem to dominate the headlines on a weekly basis, so we want people in the East Midlands to feel safer knowing we have state-of-the-art kit which can help us find prints on knives sent to us.

“We are committed to supporting our police forces in identifying those that carry and use knives, which can have devastating consequences for everyone involved.”

Mrs Henry said: “The cutting-edge refurbishment of the lab should assure victims of crime that we are at the forefront of technological advancements to ensure we can obtain best evidence.

“The improvements mean that investigations can be the more efficient and effective which will lead to more convictions of criminals.

“Forensic investigations can now be taken to the next level thanks to the upgrades put into place.”

Nottinghamshire Police chiefs open new upgraded East Midlands forensics labs