In what could change the face of forensics forever, scientists in Scotland have developed a new technique which they claim could lift fingerprints from cloth and household fabrics such as curtains and couches.
In the past, forensic officers have only been able to take fingerprints from solid objects. But, the new technique means that full sets of prints can now be taken from clothing and fabrics, 'The Scotsman' reported.
The ground-breaking research was carried out by the University of Abertay and Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA) laboratories.
Paul Deacon, fingerprint unit manager at the SPSA, said: "This is cutting-edge research which will increase the type of cases we can look at. There's now virtually no smooth surface we don't have some chance of finding a print on. This is just the tip of the iceberg."
A piece of fabric is put into a vacuum chamber and a fine layer of gold is spread over it. Zinc is then added which sticks to the gold but not where there are ridges or remains of a fingerprint.
The fabric then looks like a photographic negative where the fabric appears grey except for the fingerprint.
The scientists used one of two existing machines in Scotland which have been effective for decades in getting prints off smooth, solid objects. The machine, using vacuum metal deposition (VMD), was originally used to make car lamps.
This is the first time its use has been expanded to reliably get prints from fabric. The research found fabrics with thread counts of more than three per millimetre, such as silk or nylon, were best for catching a full print.
Prof David Bremner, forensic science research leader at the University of Abertay Dundee and another author on the recent report in Forensic Science International, said: "This research is very exciting, showing a huge amount of progress in the development of the technique.
"By proving that fingerprinting from fabrics is possible, this should help future criminal investigations and the apprehension of perpetrators."
However, the scientists cautioned that their work could not solve all cases. But they said the science could eventually be used in an average of one major case each week.
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