6. The successful investigation of deliberate or possibly deliberate fires including the prosecution of suspected offenders requires the closest possible liaison, co-operation and mutual assistance between the police, fire and forensic science services. This requires not only an awareness of the legal responsibilities of the respective services but also appreciation of the special qualities and different skills, experience and support facilities which are available to them. The respective roles and responsibilities of the individual services must be clearly understood.

7. The police service is responsible for the prevention and detection of crime and for reporting to the Coroner any death which results from a fire. The police are solely responsible for the direction and control of any criminal investigation into the cause of any fire of doubtful origin. In order to facilitate such investigation access to the scene of the fire, postextinction, should be at the discretion and direction of the senior police investigating officer. 8. The fire service has an important role to perform at the scene of a fire not merely because the senior fire brigade officer present has, under section 30(3) of the Fire Services Act 1947, sole charge of all operations for the extinction of the fire but also because fire officers will often be at the fire ground before the police. It is important therefore that they observe and record those phenomena which may be apparent in the early stages of a fire and which are characteristic of a fire that has been started deliberately.

9. Some brigades have found it useful to produce a proforma to use in these circumstances. For example, the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority has produced a brigade liaison report which is completed and passed to the police in all cases where the fire requires the attendance of the police or the fire investigation team and involves fatality or serious injury, or is of a suspicious nature. This report gives a resume in Section 1 of what the brigade found on arrival at a premises. Section 2 of the same form provides the Metropolitan Police with space to report back with their findings. Other brigades may wish to adopt a similar procedure, if they do not already have one.

10. As its name suggests, the Forensic Science Service is the best qualified and best equipped public body for adducing forensic evidence in suspected arson cases, for analysing fire debris, interpreting scientific or technical findings and for giving expert evidence in court.