A NORTH-EAST mother is heading to the US to tackle crime with the Florida Sheriff's Department after a job search on the Internet.

Wendy James, 37, from Ormesby, Middlesbrough, has just gained a degree in crime scene science and, on the strength of that, a job as a crime scene investigator.

Mrs James, her painter and decorator husband, Lenny, and children Kirsty, 15, and Dominic, 11, will fly off to their new life in the US next year.

The former mature student, who gained her degree at Teesside University, said she was amazed to be offered the job.

She said: "UK crime scene training is very sought-after in other countries.

"We covered everything at Teesside, whereas other countries are more specific in their approach.

"When I first spoke to the Florida Sheriff's Department, they were amazed that I had done crime scene photography, evidence collection and laboratory analysis and lots more.

"We decided to emigrate and give the kids a taste of another country. So I did a few Internet searches and found a contact in a sheriff's department in Florida.

"After exchanging a few e-mails and going through a phone interview, I was amazed to be offered the job.

"I will miss this area though. It is where I was born and raised and we have got a lot of friends and relatives here, but this is a great opportunity for us as a family."

She said her course at the university was a solid foundation to build on and she could use the crime scene laboratory, which gave her a working experience of collecting evidence in a realistic environment.

The university's crime scene laboratory is a 16-room building, where crime scenes in domestic and professional settings are created.

The students gain experience of how to collect evidence and all rooms are covered by video cameras, so lecturers and students can review their performances.