UIA Insurance News

DNA evidence 'has helped reduce car theft in Scotland'

The inventor of genetic fingerprinting says he is satisfied the technology has helped to catch many criminals, including car thieves ? something which may help lower the number of car insurance claims.

Sir Alec Jeffreys told the Scotsman the system in north of the border, where DNA is only taken for more serious offences and can be stored for a maximum of three years, is a fair and appropriate use of his development.

"It has had a major impact on crime, on the detection of burglary and car theft and so on. It has led to long unsolved cases being cracked," he said.

However, he did express concerns over the English system, where samples can be stored of people not convicted of any crime and can be held for a much longer period.

The European Court of Human Rights has declared the UK government's database of five million records to be illegal as there are many innocent people and children whose details are held within.

Liberal Democrat research indicated in Greater Manchester 5,000 innocent people had their DNA added to the national database in the 12 months after the practice was ruled illegal.

By David Leonard

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