35,330 young people's DNA stored by Hampshire police

11.51.49am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 13th Aug 2009

The Government's DNA database holder has revealed that 35,330 young people in Hampshire have had DNA swabs taken and stored on the national database.

The National Policing Improvement Agency, responding to a Freedom of Information Act request from the Liberal Democrats, said that it now holds over 1 million DNA samples from young people.

The DNA samples, taken from children as young as ten years old, have been kept regardless of whether or not the children were charged with any crime.

Liz Leffman, prospective Lib Dem MP for Meon Valley, said "Hampshire police have taken and stored the DNA of 9 young people, some as young as ten years old, every single day for the past 10 years. Many of these children will never be charged, let alone convicted and I'd like to know how this has helped combat crime in Hampshire. It's absolutely wrong that their DNA will now be stored for years to come.

"Instead, I believe this will alienate and stigmatise young people, and is unlikely to improve relations between the police and the public."

The collection of DNA samples continues despite the European Court of Human Rights ruling last December that stockpiling the DNA taken using mouth swabs of 850,000 innocent people was unlawful. In response, the Government has only offered a partial climb-down, ordering the police to not store the DNA from children younger than ten.

The professor who developed the genetic techniques that contributed to the database's development has attacked the Government for keeping innocent peoples' DNA. Sir Alec Jeffreys said the practice caused innocent people to be "branded as criminals".

Lib Dem shadow home secretary Chris Huhne has attacked the national DNA database as "ludicrous and ineffective" after the Government was forced to admit that the DNA from a baby had been placed on the national database