THE security of one’s personal information has become a hot political issue, both in terms of the Government’s plans for a national ID card scheme, and the regular reports of security lapses.

So our revelation today that almost one in ten people on Merseyside has their genetic profile stored on the national DNA database will no doubt come as an unwelcome surprise to many.

The figures show that more than 200,000 profiles of people in Merseyside and Cheshire – many of whom have not been convicted of any crime – are on the controversial database.

Merseyside Police said the database was a "key intelligence and evidential tool that has revolutionised the way the police work" and pledged to continue using it.

But Helen Wallace, director of Genewatch, a research group which acts as a national watchdog body on the use of genetic material, condemned the figures as "shocking."

She makes the point that the database has expanded rapidly without public involvement in the decision-making about whose DNA should be taken and kept.

According to the Home Office, maintaining and developing the database is one of the Government’s top priorities, with investment of more than £300m in recent years.

The Home Office says the database is used to quickly identify offenders, make earlier arrests, secure more convictions and provide critical leads for police in their investigations.

If it does indeed help in the fight against crime, then most people who have nothing to worry about from the existence of such a database are likely to welcome it.

As the police say, the sample they take might make the difference between a murderer being caught or escaping detection. It can also eliminate innocent people from enquiries.

On the other hand, it is vital that such information is used responsibly to avoid it being either abused or falling into the wrong hands.