Anger at DNA move

DNA profiles of almost 48,000 innocent men, women and children across Greater Manchester will be held on police files for at least six years under a revamp of the system.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith sparked anger with yesterday’s announcement that details will be retained on the national database.

It came despite a landmark legal ruling that campaigners thought would put an end to forces keeping records of people never charged or convicted of a crime.

Latest figures show there are 47,817 profiles of innocent Greater Manchester residents on the database.

Shami Chakrabarti, director of human rights group Liberty, said: “These proposals are not quite two fingers to the European Court of Human Rights but they come pretty close.

“They don’t distinguish between people who are under suspicion, people who are wholly innocent and those who are guilty.

“If they do not budge in consultation, then we will see them in court.”

Under the new scheme outlined by the government, innocent people's profiles will be removed after six years, or after 12 years for those accused of the most serious offences. Under-18s who are arrested will have their profiles deleted when they become adults unless they commit multiple or serious crimes. The profiles of all convicted criminals will remain on the database indefinitely.