The map above shows a number of violent attacks (indicated by black dots) for which the police believe that the same person is responsible. Draw an X on the map to indicate the area in which you think the attacker lives. The answer is shown at the bottom of this article…

You got it right What a Cracker! You have an intuitive understanding of the criminal mind, and have somehow internalised what forensic psychologists call the “golden rule” of offender behaviour: that most are impulsive, and don’t travel far to commit their crimes. So – as you know intuitively – the trick is just to place your X as close as possible to as many dots as possible.

You got it wrong He got away and your X did not mark the spot. Don’t worry if you missed him, most people do, as the “golden rule” isn’t as obvious as it seems with hindsight. The good news is that, after being told about this rule, would-be sleuths upped their accuracy to a level equivalent to the sophisticated software used by many police forces.

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ANSWER The attacker lives in the Stoke Newington area.