AFTER SUCCESS WITH TOM CONTI MURDER DRAMA, CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATOR MOVES TV AND MOVIE FICTION PRODUCERS CLOSER TO REALITY.

With 24,000 crime scene investigations behind him, including 500 deaths, forensic specialist Andy Johnson always believes he's seen it all - until the next one comes along.

So when he found himself shouting at the TV as yet another team of fictional big-booted detectives tromped through precious evidence in a crime drama murder scene, he declared enough was enough - and moved to provide real-life forensic expertise to film and TV producers.

Andy, 33, an active-duty crime scene investigator with a UK Police force for 13 years, has teamed up with fellow investigative experts to set up Pro-Forensic.com.

Based on experience of murder, rape, suicide, assault, kidnap and arson, the group provides intensely accurate and massively detailed advice and consultancy both to ensure accuracy and to create completely new ideas for book and scriptwriters, TV producers and filmmakers.

Andy's expertise was employed by the producers of DoNovAn, an ITV drama starring Tom Conti and Samantha Bond. An audience of 8 million viewers were gripped by the crime mystery - and witnessed forensic investigative detail never before seen on TV.

"But it meant another opportunity: as well as ensuring the on-set detail was right for the investigative strand of the programme, I was also consulted about what might be possible in terms of committing a crime, concealing a crime and solving a crime. My views on the possible, based on experience, helped create a whole new twist to the plot. That really gripped me - and got me thinking," said Andy.

"Crime scene investigation may be based on science and analysis, but there's also a great deal of creativity involved in picturing how the facts and evidence translate into the real actions of an offender which in turn can provide clues for the reasons behind a crime.

"Some TV and movie crime dramas are very well researched, but even the best fall well short of reality or possibility. I've advised on matters as diverse as how to 'twizzle' a fingerprint brush - through to how DNA might be transferred from one object or place to another so somebody can be framed.

"If the audience is fascinated by how fictional investigators get their man - or woman - they'd be utterly astonished as to how real-life investigators get their answers. A detective magically pronouncing his verdict after 20 minutes at a crime scene with battalions of people stomping around? Utter nonsense.

"TV and movie plots barely scratch the surface of possibility, whether in terms of the type of crime, the way it is carried out, the motive, the surrounding influences, how the evidence is treated or how the investigation unfolds."

The Pro-Forensic.com team comprises Andy and a number of other specialists, including pathologists to advise on how people have died, or fire investigators with massive experience of identifying how even the most cleverly concealed or disguised arsons are planned and committed.