Fluorescent light technology is being developed to help police officers find human remains in lakes, ponds and rivers.

Researchers at the University of Huddersfield are trying to exploit the natural fluorescence of human bones through different light sources - using coloured filters - so they glow and become visible to forensic teams during land and water searches.

They believe the presence of the protein, collagen affects how fluorescent bones are under different wavelengths of light and are working on a standardised method that could be adopted by investigators.

It could mean something as simple as a new flashlight for detectives or forensic teams so they can sift through masses of spoil at a scene - without missing traces of bone, which can sometimes be confused with stones and go uncollected.

Meanwhile, underwater the method could even lend itself to remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs), during body searches. “So many people drown or go missing in water”, said Dr Anna Williams who is mentoring PHD student, Catherine Maidment, on the project.

“And we don’t have as good an armoury of techniques to find bodies in water as we do on land.

“We want to be able to go to a river or a lake, or a pond and say ‘now we need to use this particular combination of light and filter to find the body parts in this kind of water.”