Lift fingerprints, examine evidence and investigate a simulated crime scene at Think Forensic’s Crime Scene Centre in Shelley, near Huddersfield. This three-hour Foxchaser experience gives teenagers aged 14 to 18 a chance to try forensic techniques with specialists from policing and forensic science, including practitioners still working in the field.
The morning begins in the forensic workshop room, where the specialists introduce the techniques you will use. Watch a demonstration with magnetic fingerprint powder, ink-roll your own prints and try lifting a print with the powder yourself. See how footwear impressions are cast, then make a cast of a footprint or tyre track with your team. Explore hair, fibres and bloodstains, including a visit to the blood room.
Each team then investigates one of nine simulated crime scenes, each with its own story. Gather evidence, consider why its position and condition matter, and work out what it can and cannot tell you. Then return to the workshop room to explain what your team found at a mock briefing and work towards a conclusion.
Biology, chemistry and physics all play a part. Fingerprints have their own patterns, powders help reveal hidden traces, and bloodstain patterns can help reconstruct what happened. There is time to ask the specialists about their work and discuss the evidence.
A parent, or another adult you choose, takes part alongside their teenager and stays for the whole session. Families work together in one scene. One adult can bring up to two teenagers, with up to five people in one booking. Up to 30 people take part in total, including adults, split into teams across the nine scenes.
The session runs on Wednesday 17 February 2027 from 10am to 1pm. Doors open at 9:50am. The address is Think Forensic, Unit 1, Barncliffe Mills, Near Bank, Shelley, Huddersfield, HD8 8LU. The unit is opposite the main car park on Brook House Lane; the postcode can take visitors to the back of the industrial estate.
Teen places cost £70. Accompanying adult places cost £35, with one reduced-rate adult place available for each teen place. Extra adults are £70 each, where places allow. One teenager and one accompanying adult therefore cost £105 in total.
Some scenes are murder investigations with simulated blood, and one includes an inflatable body prop. Others have no blood. Every activity is optional. Please ask Foxchaser before booking if you are unsure whether the experience is right for your teenager.
The centre is step-free and on one level, with an accessible toilet. It is a converted warehouse and can be cold, so wear warm, comfortable clothes and bring your own drinks. Parking is available on site, with a free car park opposite. Full details and booking are available through Foxchaser.
Photos: Think Forensic
