Lib Dems Say 'Free Our DNA'

7.42.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 8th May 2009

Liberal Democrats in Sheffield are calling on the government to destroy the DNA records of over 925,000 innocent people. Government plans announced yesterday to reduce the database, will still hold DNA data for people not charged for any offence.

A freedom of information request by the Lib Dems shows that South Yorkshire Police hold DNA records of nearly 126,000 people. Of these, up to 23,000 were not convicted of any crime.

This means that Sheffield ranks 12th out of 44 police authorities across the country for the total number of records held on file. Sheffield is also amongst the top ten police authorities for the number of innocent people's records held on their system.

The government have been forced to U-turn on their plans to expand the National DNA Database, after the European Court of Human Rights ruled that it is illegal.

But in plans announced yesterday, the government still plan to hold the DNA records of people who are cleared, or never charged with any offence, for up to six years. For cases involving violence or sexual offences, records would be held for twelve years.

Paul Scriven, PPC for Sheffield Central said: 'The government's announcement today is nowhere near good enough: it shows total contempt for the court's ruling.

Almost one in five people from South Yorkshire held on the database are innocent of any crime. The government must remove their details, and they must do it now'.

Information revealed through Lib Dem MPs questions to the government show that 13.3 per cent of the data held are copies of existing records because the system is inefficient.

The database has cost tax payers an estimated £305.4 million since it was first set up in 1995.

Paul added: 'Two men from South Yorkshire were the first people to challenge the government over the storage their DNA records, since they had both been proven innocent. Now Liberal Democrats in Sheffield are calling on the government to listen to the European Courts, and free innocent people's DNA now.'