Tories attack "stealth" growth of national DNA database

Conservatives have accused the government of trying to build a national DNA database "by stealth".

The Tories are calling for more debate over the growth of the national DNA database.

Shadow home affairs spokesman, Damian Green, said in a statement: "It is clear that the government is determined to set up a national DNA database by stealth. Guilty and innocent alike will have their records kept on file.

He said: "It is completely unacceptable for this intrusion into our lives to be made without parliament having the chance to debate it - I will be demanding proper parliamentary scrutiny of this dubious policy."

According to government figures, as of 1 December last year there were 124,347 people on the national DNA database who had been arrested and had a DNA sample taken and who had subsequently not been charged or cautioned for any offence.

Of these, 24,168 were under 18 years of age.

But the Home Office said that since 2001 police have been able to retain DNA data in situations where the individual was either cleared or never charged.

It said of the nearly 200,000 records that have been retained in this way, which would have otherwise been destroyed, 7,591 have later been matched to samples from crime scenes.