"Give me back my DNA"-Welsh Lib Dems (From Tivyside Advertiser)

"Give me back my DNA"-Welsh Lib Dems

11:23am Monday 28th September 2009

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The Welsh Liberal Democrats’ three MPs for the Dyfed-Powys region have this week written a joint letter to the Chief Constable of the Dyfed-Powys force to ask him to remove the profiles of innocent people from the DNA database if a request is made.

Last year, the retention of the DNA profiles of innocent people was ruled illegal by the European Court of Human Rights, but despite the ruling and a Government consultation on how to enforce it, many police forces are still refusing requests to remove data, and innocent people are still being added to the database.

The Welsh Lib Dems are urging innocent people in Wales to write to their Chief Constable to request that their DNA be removed and have set up a dedicated webpage with guidance and a downloadable template letter.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Wales Roger Williams MP said: "It is scandalous that nearly a year after the court ruled that the DNA database is illegally storing the profiles of innocents, we are still seeing requests to remove profiles rejected, and even new profiles added.

"The Government should be going further and faster to stop this illegal hoarding of sensitive data.

"Police forces need to be open to requests to remove profiles. We’ve had a clear and unequivocal decision that the database is illegal in its current form, and that ruling should be respected.

Ceredigion MP Mark Williams added: "Police forces have a duty to uphold the law, and they should be looking favourably at requests to remove profiles that are being held illegally according to the court’s ruling.

"The Government is not showing any leadership on this issue and continue to drag its heels. I hope that the Chief Constable of Dyfed-Powys and indeed Chief Constables from across the country will take positive steps to enforce the ruling."

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