Crime reporter Louise Cooper meets West Yorkshire Police’s Major Investigation Team to hear how the developments in forensic technology are providing vital evidence to convict murderers and rapists.

TV programmes such as Waking The Dead and New Tricks have thrust the work of detectives investigating old crimes into the spotlight.

But West Yorkshire’s specialist unit works very much behind the scenes ... and yet is getting some excellent results and its work has already led to 24 rapists being snared – some of them decades after committing their crime.

West Yorkshire Police’s Major Investigation Team is headed up by Detective Superintendent Colin Prime, who used to be in charge of Huddersfield CID.

It is now reviewing 42 West Yorkshire homicides under the codename Operation Pamphlet.

Det Supt Prime said: “There are currently 42 homicides under full forensic review to see if there is anything we can learn from modern science in the detection of those offences.”

But in carrying out ‘cold case reviews’ the team has discovered that these cases are restricted by former practices and procedures which are now very different and often much improved.

For example, how could an investigator have been expected to consider preserving forensic material for future DNA testing before the existence of DNA was even known?

“Operation Pamphlet is a mammoth task,” said Det Supt Prime. “We have boxes and boxes of material.

“We have started with cases in 1999 and worked backwards.

“But first and foremost we review all those cases forensically. We say the best chance of getting detection is through forensic science because of the way it has moved on over the years.

“We work very closely with the Forensic Science Service (FSS) and other service providers.

“We meet with the FSS on a six-weekly basis where we consider the cases we have prioritised and look at every single exhibit to see if there is any further opportunities to extract forensic evidence.

“It’s slow, very methodical and painstaking work, but evidence has proved that it will bring success.

“Every conviction we achieve not only delivers justice, but sends a clear message that there is no hiding place for criminals.

“Just because they were not caught at the time of the offence does not mean they have escaped. There is no time limit on justice.”

One case which is part of Operation Pamphlet is the murder of Huddersfield woman Sarah Lewin.

The mum-of-three was battered to death at her home in Bradley Boulevard, Sheepridge, on January 14, 1994.

The weapon was thought to have been a glass ashtray but no motive was found for the killing.

Despite several high profile campaigns her killer has never been found.

Det Supt Prime confirmed: “Miss Lewin’s case is one we are conducting as part of Operation pamphlet.”

Another murder being investigated as part of the operation is that of Calderdale School girl Lindsay Jo Rimer.

Lindsay, who would have celebrated her 30th birthday last year, disappeared on Monday, November 7, 1994.

During the last 17 years extensive enquiries have been made and it remains an active investigation.

Det Supt Prime said the other side of their work was investigating historic rape and sexual offences as part of Operation Recall.

He explained: “Operation Recall is purely for sexual offences committed between 1974 and 1999.

“But in comparison to Operation Pamphlet, in these instances we have a lot less material. In some cases of indecent assault many years ago, we may only have one statement and we have to rebuild the case.

“It is a very similar process with the FSS and use every opportunity to detect evidence.

“We have had successes.

“To date we have 24 rapists who have been convicted. These are serious stranger attacks on females and some date back to the 1980s. Sadly some of the victims have died.

“We have three cases awaiting trial at Bradford Crown Court dating back to offences in the 1980s.

“We are very victim focused.

“We accept fully that when we start knocking on doors 20 to 30 years after a traumatic experience that if they have managed to put what happened behind them it will bring it all back.

“We do, however, provide them with full support from family liaison officers from when we first go round to knock on the door to a court case and beyond.

“We have a rape victim whose offender was in court five years ago and she still keeps in contact.”

Det Supt Prime added: “If victims will not go to court we still make contact and if they don’t want to work with us then we will leave them initially.

“We would make contact again and would move on but that doesn’t mean the person responsible would go undetected.

“Most of the victims fully support our work.

“We had one case where a man was suspected of rape. We carried out a search of his house and found child pornography. The case went to court and he is now on the sex offenders’ register.”

Speaking of the advances in forensic science Det Supt Prime added: “We use the technology of today to solve the crimes of the past with a view to preventing the crimes of the future.

“Since 1991 the advances of forensic science have moved on dramatically.

“If a suspect has given a DNA sample he would be on the DNA database and we are able to compare them to exhibits to find matches.

“Even after this has been done, however, there is still a lot of work to be completed in re-investigating the crime before we can bring about a successful prosecution.”

The dedication of West Yorkshire’s ‘cold case’ review team and investigative methods have also been adopted by many other forces and partners.

The team is recognised as a leader in its field and regularly contributes to regional and national good practice development.