EXPERTS in crime investigation received awards after honing their skills at a centre of excellence in County Durham.

Centrex, the national training centre for scientific support to crime investigation, based at Harperley Hall, near Crook, staged its tenth awards ceremony at Durham Castle on Sunday.

Her Majesty's Inspector of Police Training, Robin Field-Smith, presented the awards in the castle's Great Hall. He told the assembled graduates and their families: "The work of the National Training Centre is vital to the effective detection of crime, and the provision of the necessary knowledge and skills in forensic science to police officers and staff."

The annual awards are made to students, from police forces across the country who have attended courses at Harperley Hall and the centre's other sites, in an industrial unit at Spennymoor and alongside Durham Police headquarters, at Aykley Heads.

Those honoured have either achieved a Student of the Year award or have completed two years' study, resulting in a diploma in crime scene examination, which is given by Durham University, a partner to the training centre.