NSPCC condemns holding of thousands of Cheshire teenagers’ DNA

Mar 13 2009 by Laurie Stocks-Moore, Chester Chronicle

THOUSANDS of Cheshire teenagers have their DNA held on the police database.

Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show 2,001 10 to 15-year-olds and 3,303 youths aged 16 to 17 have been swabbed by Cheshire police.

The database includes people who have been arrested but not charged, those who have volunteered their DNA to eliminate themselves from enquiries and DNA taken at crime scenes.

A sample is usually taken by brushing the inside of the mouth with a cotton swab, although hair samples may be taken instead.

The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) say around 13.3% are replicates where multiple samples are taken from the same subject.

Gavin McKinnon, NPIA head of secretariat, argues there’s no disadvantage to being on the database and inclusion does not signify a criminal record.

Now many may be wiped from the database after the European Court of Human Rights ruled in December the DNA of all innocent people must be removed. Shortly after, the Home Secretary ordered that the DNA of under 10s be erased.

PC Andrew Fielding said: “DNA is obtained from all suspects in custody who are arrested for notifiable offences. They include offences such as burglary, theft and assault.

“If your DNA is requested as a witness for elimination purposes, we’re obliged to destroy it when the case is finished.”

While 5.2% of the UK population is on the database, the 86,884 samples taken by Cheshire Constabulary represent nearly 9% of its 1m population.

A spokeswoman for the NSPCC said: “The society believes it is unethical to collect and store DNA from any child or young person whether or not they have committed an offence.”