The media often describe how people claiming to be psychic have helped to prevent and solve serious crimes. In addition, some American law-enforcement agencies have reported using `psychic detectives' to help resolve their investigations. Scientists in both Holland and America have carried out controlled studies investigating the efficacy of these claims. In August 1994 the authors added to this database by undertak­ing the first British scientific evaluation of psychic detection. The study involved three well-known psychic detectives. Two of these worked as professional psychics whilst the third had recently received a great deal of attention from the British media. These psychics were compared with a control group of three students (none of whom claimed to be psychic). All six participants were shown three objects, each of which had been involved in one of three solved crimes. They were asked to handle these objects and describe the nature of the crimes. Next, they were shown a list of eighteen randomly-ordered statements (six related to the first crime, six to the second and six to the third), and asked to select the six statements which they believed were related to the crime involved with each of the three objects. Results showed that the psychics were no more accurate than the students and that neither group performed at above­chance levels. An analysis of the comments made by the participants whilst they handled the objects revealed that the psychics made many more comments than the students but were no more accurate, and no comment made by either the psychics or the students would have been of value to the investigating officers. The methodology of this study is discussed, along with its implications for future research into psychic detection.