IF THERE'S A MURDER I'M WHO THEY CALL

Crime scene cleaner Stacey Foyster, 34, says the jobs involving poo are the worst but Mrs Hinch inspires her

Walking into the flat's hallway in my hazmat suit and protective mask, I saw blood splattered up W the walls and bloody handprints all over the lounge. There had been a stabbing at the property, and it was obvious the victim had moved around before collapsing, leaving a gory trail to be cleaned in almost every room. It was like something you'd see in a horror movie but all in a day's work for me in my job as a crime scene cleaner.

On that job, in February 2020, after checking my two colleagues' hepatitis B vaccinations were up to date, so they weren't at risk of catching it from blood at the scene, we worked as a team, tackling the contaminated areas with industrial-strength sanitiser sprayed through a fogging machine. Sticky blood was on the carpet, kitchen cupboards, and in every crack.

After sanitising the flat, we got to work removing bio-hazardous waste, including cutting away part of the carpet, before disposing of it in a yellow waste bag, ready to be incinerated. Twelve hours later, we were finished. I left, exhausted but satisfied knowing the flat had no trace left of the horror that had unfolded there.

My career used to be very different from this one.