THE number of profiles held on the national DNA database has increased by 40% in two years and has topped 5m, it was revealed today.
Figures released by the Home Office showed there are 5.1m profiles on the database – up 1.4m since February, 2007.
The Home Office estimates that, because of duplicates, there are about 13% more profiles than individuals on the database.
Last year, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said the records of all children under 10 would be removed from the database following a highly critical European Court of Human Rights judgment.
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said: “This Government has proven itself to be relentlessly committed to building the world’s largest DNA database by stealth.
“The European Court has ruled the Government’s practices illegal, but it continues to look for ways to defy the judgment.”
