Look to the media for representations of private investigation and you’ll see hidden figures sneaking through darkness, potentially with high-tech gadgets of James Bond calibre and perhaps with an almost superhuman power of deduction. Some of TV’s best private detectives have ‘visions’, or can generate entire stories about someone’s life based on a single scratch on their jewellery.

For real private investigators, the tools used are often much less dramatic. In fact, the humble mobile phone can be one of the most important gadgets.

Preston private investigators, and others elsewhere, need not even leave their office. It’s amazing what you can do, with the right experience and the right connections, just by making phone calls.

Recent TV series Jessica Jones, in many ways a completely unrealistic portrayal of private investigation, does hit the nail on the head with the lead character’s constant use of the phone. Texts and phone calls can get a lot done, if you know how to make them work for you.

What do you pay for when you hire a private investigator?

When you hire a genuine PI, you’re not contributing towards flashy gadgets. Your money is going on real, valuable experience and skill, which is far more important if you need to find out the truth or gather evidence about a cheating partner, an employee that’s faking illness or a family member that has disappeared.

Also remember that a real private detective, or a private investigation agency, will not only deal with the glamorous cases worthy of their own TV shows. Much of what we do at EJM Investigations is process serving, criminal defence and debtor tracing – important services for business clients and private clients, that more often than not will involve a seat at a desk, with hours spent looking through online records.