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Forensic Scene Investigators (FSIs) from the West Midlands Police took part in Britain's first 24-hour long tweetathon yesterday, which saw investigators from the force tweeting live from crime scenes.

The police force said that the idea for this campaign was put forward by members of the general public. The aim of the Twitter initiative was to provide people in the area with a better insight into the day-to-day duties of FSIs.

The force started tweeting at 7.30am under the Twitter handle @brumpolice, which has attracted more than 10,400 followers since the account was created less than a year ago.

A representative from the force confirmed that for legal reasons, the tweets could not include any details about victims, offenders, locations or any information that could affect future investigations.

One tweet said: 'I've just arrived at a vehicle recovery yard. Officers have recovered a stolen vehicle. I'll look for evidence to see how it was stolen #fsi.'

The officers also tweeted general information relating to their jobs. One tweet said: 'Suspects almost always leave evidence behind. We can get this from almost any surface and remove it for further testing if required #fsi.'

The West Midlands Police is well-known for its social media presence. In September, West Midlands Superintendent Mark Payne travelled to the US to attend a social media conference for law enforcement officers.

Payne was invited to demonstrate how West Midlands Police have used social media during public order incidents.

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