INNOCENT.. BUT COPS WILL KEEP YOUR DNA; Jamieson makes election pledge.

Byline: By RON MOORE

CONTROVERSIAL plans to let police keep DNA samples of suspects, even if they are cleared, were unveiled yesterday.

The Labour election promise was slammed as an invasion of human rights by angry opposition parties.

But justice minister Cathy Jamieson said the scheme, already operating in England and Wales, was vital to crack down on crime. She said: "For me, protecting the public and catching criminals is simply the most important thing that the police do. We need to give them the greatest possible help in doing that.

Currently DNA samples taken from suspects must be destroyed if they are not charged or convicted - at an estimated annual cost of pounds 500,000. Earlier this year MSPs voted in favour, of allowing forces to keep the DNA of those accused of serious violent and sexual offences for up to three years, even if they are never charged or convicted.

The new power, which comes into force next year, was opposed by MSPs, including the Tories, Nationalists and Greens.

Unveiling the plans for further powers Ms Jamieson added: "The question other parties have failed to answer is why families in England should get better protection from criminals than in Scotland and why the police there should have more tools that their disposal for catching criminals than the police here?"

But SNP justice spokesman Kenny MacAskill slammed the idea as "a Draconian, Big Brother proposal".

And Scots Tory MSP Bill Aitken said: "People are entitled, even under Labour, to a presumption of innocence.

This smacks of a police state. But we all know it is not going to happen as no potential coalition partner would go along with this."

The Scottish Lib Dems also rejected the idea. A spokesman said: "The trouble with Labour's approach to crime is their gimmicks don't work."

Scottish Green Party justice spokesman Patrick Harvie added: "Targeted retention of the DNA profiles of known high-risk individuals is justified, but putting millions of innocent people on the government's DNA database is unjustified, and unlikely to help combat crime.

"DNA is a powerful tool but it should be used carefully, not as an election gimmick."

Ms Jamieson said Home Office figures showed nearly 200,000 samples have been held since the powers came into force in England in 2001.

More than 7,000 people have been linked to unsolved crimes including 88 murders, 45 attempted murders, 116 rapes and 62 further sex offences.

r.moore@mirror.co.uk

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OPPOSITION: Kenny MacAskill