The forensic science technique which led to the conviction of serial killer Peter Tobin will be the focus of a global conference today.

Scottish scientists are at the forefront of work into the interpretation of bloodstain patterns, denoted by the position, size and shape of droplets.

They will share this crucial expertise at the three-day conference in Edinburgh of the International Association of Bloodstain Pattern Analysts (IABPA).

Such evidence was vital in the conviction of Tobin who murdered West Lothian teenager Vicky Hamilton in 1991 and whose remains were found buried in the garden of a house in Margate five years ago.

The technique was successfully used in the case of another of Tobin's victims, 23-year-old Polish student Angelika Kluk who was raped and murdered in Glasgow, in 2006.

Among the key speakers at the event will be Peter Lamb, European president of IABPA, who worked on high-profile cases such as the Soham murders.

Bloodstain analysis can determine significant aspects of the crime such as how a person was injured, the degree of force used or even the type of weapon used.