Fictional detectives often manage to rapidly solve perplexing crimes through an amazing series of coincidences, but real-life situations can take a lot longer, involving painstaking investigation and analysis.

The area of forensic investigation has grown massively in recent years but bears little relation to TV shows such as CSI because of the time-intensive processes required.

As a result of privatisation of some aspects of the Forensic Science Service, which was formerly provided by the Home Office, companies have been set up in various parts of the country by experts who can offer these services directly to clients.

John and Kathy Manlove were both formerly employed by the Forensic Science Service and, in 2004, they set up their company, initially in a Portakabin, in a village in the Vale of the White Horse.

Since then, the business has undergone major expansion, and has recently moved into new offices and laboratories at the Grove Technology Park, near Wantage.

They employ seven staff and can also call upon the expertise of other consultants who are specialists in a particular field.

Dr John Manlove’s background is as a pioneer of forensic biology. He is involved in the training of crime scene personnel and has been lead scientist in major cases that have covered more than a dozen evidence types. He has also worked overseas on war crime investigations.

Mrs Manlove’s work has involved serious crime and anti-terrorist cases. She continues to provide expert opinion and attends crime scenes, using expertise in contact trace evidence, mark comparison, chemical enhancement of marks and footwear tracking.

Forensic ecology can also provide vital evidence in crime investigation, both indoors and outdoors.

It includes forensic entymology — the use of insect evidence, such as the calculation via the life cycle of flies of the length of a post-mortem interval.

Fly larvae, or maggots, are taken from a scene. Half are preserved, and the other half are allowed to complete their life cycle to enble calculations to be made.

Another science used is forensic palynology — the study of pollens. This can assist in identifying an area a person has visited recently. Botany can provide evidence relating to plants associated with a crime scene.

In events where water is involved, forensic diatomology plays its part. Investigations in, for example, deaths by drowning, can be assisted by information gained through the presence of diatoms — single-celled plant-like organisms found in fresh and salt water.

Archaeology and anthropology also contribute. By examining a grave, an archaeologist can look at how it had been made for indications of the instruments used. Anthropologists can provide information about a corpse’s age, sex and race.

The experts at Manlove Forensics may also work on many other materials, such as glass, paint, fibres and ecological features such as soil.

With so much interest from the public in detective fiction and forensics, the Manloves find many people express an interest in hearing about their work — but its confidential nature means they can speak about it only in the broadest of terms.

Manlove Forensics also provides training courses, both in scientific techniques and as a means of enabling potential clients to be aware of the services the company can offer.

These clients may be police forces, the legal profession, social services deparments and also commercial companies, which may have situations where investigations of this nature are needed.

“We are independent scientists providing forensic services to the criminal justice community,” said Mrs Manlove.

Much of the work, such as that with pollen, involves collecting minute samples and microscopic examination. Such work is very intensive, time-consuming and, as a result, costly.

The forensic investigators may not even know which case they are working on.

“We review the results of our investigations just in the light of the material that we have been given,” said Mrs Manlove.

The investigations may be on behalf of prosecuting agencies, or for lawyers acting on behalf of defendants.

Where work on behalf of a defence is concerned, there may be a need for fast completion when there is an impending court hearing.

So what is the educational route to a career in the fascinating world of forensic science?

“We like people to come to us with a basic science degree and then we teach them the forensic applications,” said Mrs Manlove.