THE doors were thrown open for anyone to attend the January meeting when Mrs Busher, from the DNA and Forensic Science Service, based in Birmingham, gave a wonderful insight into the work that is carried out there.

Forensic science is the means of linking any evidence left at a scene of crime with the guilty party, such as fingerprints, CCTV footage and DNA.

Britain was the first country in the world to introduce a DNA database in 1995 and since then, the detection of crime has been revolutionised.

There are now some two million names on the system and it is used by 43 different police forces.

Members were handed a one penny piece to illustrate the size of a flake of paint from a car which can be used in evidence, the 1mm square in the portcullis.

Mrs Busher told of the excitement on finding a match after using DNA and also of being able to exonerate the innocent and convict the guilty.

Helen Arrowsmith thanked Mrs Busher for her interesting talk, after which visitors and members enjoyed refreshments.

The next meeting is special, being the 80th birthday of the formation of the club.

Officials from the Worcestershire federation, members of neighbouring WIs and various village organisations have been invited to help celebrate this auspicious occasion.