Police DNA database puts Labour in a spot

London: Labour faced a fresh Big Brother row on Thursday after it emerged that for every innocent person removed from the DNA database 250 more are added.

The European Court ruled in November 2008 that it was unlawful to store indefinitely DNA samples from people who were later cleared.

But since then only 400 have successfully argued for police to remove them — almost one a day.

In the same period, 487,000 have been added to the giant database — of whom 101,000 are estimated to be entirely innocent.

It means that for every innocent person removed 253 have been added.

Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office spokesman Jenny Willott, who uncovered the figures, said: "It is appalling that the Government has taken the DNA of 100,000 innocent people since they were told the practice is illegal."

Illegal practice

He added: "Despite the government's promises to abide by the European Court ruling, they are still doing everything they can to avoid it."

The statistics have re-ignited the debate over a controversial policy which instructs chief constables only to remove the DNA of an innocent person from the database in "exceptional circumstances".

This order has remained in place despite the 2008 ruling by the European Court of Human Rights.