It was with great sadness that 2009 marked the passing of Ken Wiggins. Together with Mike Grieve (who passed away in 2002), they will be sorely missed by all who knew them.
Ken and Mike were very well known in the global Forensic Fibre community. Pioneers in the field of fibres, the numerous papers they published on the topic of forensic fibre examination will be a legacy that will endure. However, perhaps their greatest contribution to forensic science was in their partnership with the foundation of the European Fibre Group (EFG), a group Ken was to lead as president (until he retired in 2006).
History can sometimes reduce the impact of an individual to a chronology of milestones but as always its the stuff inbetween that really matters. Ken and Mike were professional at all times and they shared a vision for the EFG that carried the group forward. The emphasis on Research and case studies that formed the basis of the EFG meetings pre and post ENFSI, made the group distinctive and served to raise the standard of forensic fibre work via a combination of education and encouragement. This was largely down to the tone set by Ken and Mike. They worked hard, and worked the group hard, but they could let their hair down afterwards and compete with each other the next morning as to who could look the least hungover. Together they achieved a lot, and both will be missed by all who knew them.
A new era for Forensic Fibre Examination is beginning in the backdrop of emerging new EU regulations in Forensic Science and emerging markets. It will be interesting to observe how well the EFG will adapt to the new challenges ahead.
