Over 19,000 young people on West Mercia Police DNA database, part of one million young people nationally

4.24.20pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 17th Aug 2009

Sarah Carr, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Hereford and South Herefordshire has today revealed that the DNA profiles of thousands of young people aged 10-17 are being kept on the National DNA Database (NDNAD). The figures, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, show that the Government's DNA database holds the profile information regardless of whether or not the young person has been charged with or even committed any crime.

West Mercia police currently have 19,001 10-17 year olds registered on the DNA database, made up of 7,530 10-14 year olds and 11,471 15-17 year olds. The National Policing Improvement Agency now holds over 1 million DNA samples nationally from young people, over 40% of which are from 10-14 year olds.

Sarah Carr said,

"Whilst the police should be supported in their efforts to fight anti-social behaviour and crime it is shocking that so many young people are stigmatised in this way. The fact that the government has, in the past, had to remove the details of a baby from the NDNAD speaks volumes about the overzealous storage of data.

"The figures regarding the National DNA Database show that the government remains intent on keeping the details of many innocent young people on file even though the European Court of Human Rights ruled recently that the stockpiling DNA of innocent people is illegal. In spite of this the government continues to drag its heels on allowing individuals with their data wrongly kept to remove themselves.

"The Liberal Democrats are the only party with sensible policies on fighting crime. Where the Labour party has shown its heavy-handed tendencies, the Conservative party have failed to come up with any ideas on fighting crime and their lack of policies will do nothing to make Hereford and South Herefordshire a safer place to live. The Liberal Democrats are fighting for more police on the streets and help in tackling anti-social behaviour."