When Detective Inspector Craig King hits a dead-end with conventional investigative police-work, he knows where to turn: forensic homeopathologist Simon Yates.

Since 1997, Simon Yates has been called in on dozens of cases to assist police with his complementary detective work, based on the centuries old techniques of homeopathology. The results speak for themselves – when modern technology has been unable to identify any suspects, Mr Yates has been able to use his unique skills to study material from a crime-scene and generate lists of suspects from which convictions can be made.

Even when standard police-work makes adequate progress in a case, DI King often calls on his forensic homeopathologist for a second opinion, or a list of complementary suspects to interview.

‘Oh, Simon is great, an absolute miracle worker,’ enthused DI King. ‘It’s not just the work he does, but the time he spends with you. You come out feeling so clear-headed and convinced that there really is cause to lock his suspects up.’

Homeopathology is based on the “law of similars” formulated by Samuel Hahnemann in late 18th century Germany, and involves serial dilutions of substances in water or alcohol, followed by forceful shaking in a process known as “Succussion”.

Simon Yates applies this to substances found at the crime scene – a drop of blood, the victim’s tears – it could even be powdered glass from a broken window. After preparing the solution and drinking the ‘potentized’ remedy, Yates will roam the vicinity guided by its power until one or more suspects have been identified. They are then also asked to drink the solution while in police custody until a conclusion is reached.

Dismissed as pseudoscientific quackery by many criminologists, Simon Yates is keen to point out that ‘forensic homeopathology has been around for a long, long time. Surely if it wasn’t effective, it would have disappeared ages ago. And yet here it is. Plus you only have to look at the arrest rates to see that it is having an effect.’

He will admit, though, that forensic homeopathology has its limits and that some cases are beyond its reach. ‘In those cases, I would recommend aroma-inquiry with perhaps a course of Naturopathy to enhance the crime’s ability to solve itself.’