CRIMEFIGHTERS took on a youthful look as students worked to solve a murder case using CSI techniques.

The teenagers from Redcar and Marske Specialist Schools Trust used forensic science to identify the killer of a woman found dead in a local wild meadow.

The youngsters were introduced to techniques used in real life murder cases such as dusting for and cross-matching fingerprints, making plaster casts of footprints, taking DNA samples, processing traces of substances found on the victim's clothing and using chemicals to identify blood types.

Five schools in the Redcar and Cleveland area - Bydales, Kirkleatham Hall School, Rye Hills, Sacred Heart and Redcar Community College - make up the Trust.

Pat Hibbert, of the Trust, said: "The forensic day was held to foster pupils' team working skills, to demonstrate how lessons translate into real life situations and to develop the students' love of science."

One of the companies supporting the initiative is Coast and Country housing association supplied 13 apprentices to help with the project.

Chief executive Iain Sim said: "CSI is one of the most popular TV programmes and this was an excellent way of engaging the students.

"Our apprentices have been on a community engagement course and this forensic day was a chance for them to put the skills they had learnt into action and invest these skills back into the community."