Tyres are fitted to a range of vehicles: bicycles, motorcycles, cars, vans, lorries, four-wheel drive vehicles, etc. Different tyres are produced in a range of sizes to suit the requirements of different vehicles. These are produced by a number of manufacturers and are available in a range of pattern types.

When a tyre comes into contact with a soft deformable surface such as soil, a three-dimensional impression may be left and with a hard surface, a two-dimensional mark is more likely to be left. Cellmark has the skilled staff and facilities to record, recover and enhance marks through the use of detailed photography, a range of lifting techniques and casting, and by using physical and chemical development methods.

With large numbers of manufacturers, producing a wide range of different tyre styles and models, each in multiple sizes, there is a vast range of different surface patterns which could be left as a tyre mark present at a crime scene. However, often more important for linking a scene mark to a tyre pattern is wear and tear, including any damage to the tyre which is visible in a test mark. If a tyre’s damage features correspond in position, size and shape with those found in a scene mark, an unequivocal link can be established between the tyre and the crime scene.

Through the examination of tyre mark impressions, our forensic scientists can therefore provide the investigator with valuable information about the activity at the scene. Our tyre mark scientists also have a full range of complementary skills for the recovery, preservation and analysis of associated trace evidence.