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| Forensic lab errors: 40 drug-driving offences quashed | Forensic lab errors: 40 drug-driving offences quashed |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| At least 40 motorists convicted of drug-driving offences have been cleared after evidence of manipulation was found in the forensic testing process. | At least 40 motorists convicted of drug-driving offences have been cleared after evidence of manipulation was found in the forensic testing process. |
| The motorists were banned from driving and in some cases fined, but their convictions have since been overturned. | |
| About 10,500 test results are being reviewed after data was allegedly manipulated at Randox Testing Services. | About 10,500 test results are being reviewed after data was allegedly manipulated at Randox Testing Services. |
| The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) described it as a "most serious breach" of forensic science standards. | |
| Delays in re-testing | |
| A further 50 drug-driving cases have been dropped as a result of the alleged data manipulation at the firm's Manchester office. | |
| Police suspended all contracts with the company in November last year. | |
| Greater Manchester Police has arrested two men, aged 47 and 31, who work at one of the company's laboratories. | |
| They were arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice. | |
| Another man has also been interviewed under caution as part of what the Justice Minister, Lucy Frazier, described last month as an "expansive" criminal inquiry. | |
| Expertise shortage | |
| As a result of re-testing, two drug-driving cases that resulted in road deaths were referred to the Court of Appeal. | |
| Both convictions were upheld but one motorist's sentence was reduced. | |
| Two other cases involving drug-driving have also been sent to the Court of Appeal. One conviction was quashed and the other has yet to be decided. | |
| Ch Con James Vaughan, NPCC lead on forensics, said he could not remember a forensic science failure "of this magnitude". | |
| He said re-testing was taking longer than expected because there was a "chronic shortage" of scientific expertise and accredited laboratories, leading to delays in providing toxicology analysis in unrelated cases of sexual offence and rape. |