The bestselling novel, The No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, has been turned into a TV programme and is a ratings winner. Here reporter EDMUND TOBIN talks to the real-life equivalent in the heart of Epping Forest.

THE world of private investigations has always exuded a glamorous air, helped by the books and Hollywood films of the 1930s and 40s.

But the murky dealings of cynical gumshoes died with Humphrey Bogart, and today's detective agencies operate in a modern and professional world, miles away from the smokey gin joints and seedy nightspots of downtown Los Angeles.

Gina Negus runs the detective firm Alternative Solutions from a cottage deep in High Beech, and her team are more likely to be involved with marriage disputes or workplace issues than murders or fraud.

"We're very, very busy at the moment," said Gina. "We're doing a lot of matrimonial and relationship-type cases. In addition we've also got a service where we put a spy in workplaces to sort out HR issues. We can go in as a display operative or a cleaner so we can get someone in there to say you did that or didn't do that.

"It's not really been done before in the structured way we've been doing it. We wanted to do something different, and felt there was a gap in the market. We've got consultants, we have HR people and surveillance people who know how to present evidence."

Gina, 53, set up Alternative Solutions last year and operates with an almost exclusively female staff.

"One of the best things about women is the sympathy side - people don't expect a woman to follow them around in the same way they expect a man," she said.

She now employs 100 operatives with many of them former colleagues from her time with the Met Police.

A member of the force for many years, Gina worked with Scotland Yard's criminal intelligence unit before resigning in 1985, after an incident in which she was shot at by a bank robber in Brentwood.

"Nothing surprises me because of my background," she said. "I've worked with IRA terrorists. None of this is surprising.

"The only time I have trouble switching off is when there's children involved. In one case we had someone stalking their children to find out what their mum was up to. Most of the time I don't mind. I've been around quite a lot. I've seen friends have break-ups. I have had to deal with their issues.

"When people come to us we ask how would you feel if you had hard evidence?' They often say they already know deep down. They just need the proof and we offer a range of solutions.

"When we started we made the decision we didn't want to get into the realms of protection or safety, but now we've had so many requests we do personal safety for women - making them aware of things they can do to make themselves safer.

"We also work for people concerned with the care their elderly relatives are getting at care homes or with the care their kids are getting at nursery. Most of the people who come to us have genuine concerns that they need to resolve.

"To contact Alternative Solutions, ring 020 8502 2575 or visit www.altsolutions.co.uk.