DNA test could crack more crime

A computer illustration of the double-helix structure of DNA. Picture / Wellcome Trust, REUTERS

LONDON - A new technique that allows scientists to recover evidence from scraps of DNA could boost crime detection rates by more than 15 percent, a government body has said.

The Forensic Science Service (FSS), which works for police forces in England and Wales, said thousands of unsolved crimes could be cleared up with the new test.

Scientists will use the system to separate mixed DNA samples, such as different fingerprints on a stolen car's steering wheel, the service's head of DNA Paul Hackett said.

"This means a great many more cases have the potential to be solved," he said.

The system will be used for new crimes and unsolved "cold cases" during a three-month trial in northern England.

It will allow forensic scientists to recover evidence from small or poor quality DNA samples or where more than one person has touched a surface.

"Previous technology had a low success rate in distinguishing one person from another, particularly where only small amounts of DNA have been left behind," the FSS said.

The FSS set up the world's first national criminal intelligence DNA database in 1995.

Last year, it dealt with 130,000 cases, attended 1,800 crime scenes and provided expert witnesses in 2,500 court hearings.

- REUTERS