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Criminals' details 'not checked' Criminals' details 'not checked'
(30 minutes later)
Fifteen criminals whose details were misplaced for more than a year by the Crown Prosecution Service are being sought by police. The Crown Prosecution Service failed to run checks on 15 foreign criminals for more than a year - 11 of whom have since committed crimes in the UK.
DNA profiles of the 15, who are wanted by Dutch police for crimes including murder and rape, were on a disc sent to the CPS in London in January 2007. Last year the CPS was sent DNA details of 2,000 people wanted by Dutch police for crimes including murder and rape.
But they were only checked against the UK DNA database this month. Eleven have committed crimes in Britain since 2007. But it only started running checks this month, and found 15 have been in the UK and 11 have since committed crimes.
The CPS said it had not lost the disc but would not comment further. A major police operation has now begun to find the 15. The Tories accused the government of "serial failures".
Details of the 15 were among 2,000 DNA profiles sent by Dutch police to London and other European capitals, with a request to check if any had moved to their countries. Details of the 15 were among 2,000 DNA profiles sent by Dutch police to London and other European capitals in January 2007, with a request to check if any had moved to their countries.
Sick leave
But the request was not acted on in Britain until earlier this month when checks with the British DNA database found 15 matches - 11 of whom have committed crimes in Britain in the last 12 months.But the request was not acted on in Britain until earlier this month when checks with the British DNA database found 15 matches - 11 of whom have committed crimes in Britain in the last 12 months.
A Gold Command operation, involving police and the serious organised crime squad, has now begun to try to locate the individuals.A Gold Command operation, involving police and the serious organised crime squad, has now begun to try to locate the individuals.
This is not a data security issue as this information was always in the possession of the CPS CPS statement
BBC political editor Nick Robinson said the Home Office had been told a week ago about the situation but was advised to say nothing so as not to jeopardise the police operation.BBC political editor Nick Robinson said the Home Office had been told a week ago about the situation but was advised to say nothing so as not to jeopardise the police operation.
'Unsolved crimes' He said there had been a suggestion that the information had been left on an official's desk when they were off on sick leave.
In a statement, the Crown Prosecution Service said: "We can confirm that DNA profiles of around 2,000 unknown individuals were sent by a foreign jurisdiction to the CPS to facilitate a check against the national DNA database.In a statement, the Crown Prosecution Service said: "We can confirm that DNA profiles of around 2,000 unknown individuals were sent by a foreign jurisdiction to the CPS to facilitate a check against the national DNA database.
"These are profiles relating to unsolved crimes in that country. This is not a data security issue as this information was always in the possession of the CPS. "These are profiles relating to unsolved crimes in that country."
"As this information necessarily relates to ongoing police investigations it would be inappropriate to provide any more detail at this stage" It added: "As this information necessarily relates to ongoing police investigations, it would be inappropriate to provide any more detail at this stage."
It follows a series of incidents of missing data, the biggest being the loss of 25m people's child benefit details. The incident follows a series involving missing data, the biggest being the loss of 25m people's child benefit details.
The CPS added: "This is not a data security issue as this information was always in the possession of the CPS."
But shadow home secretary David Davis told the BBC: "There are serial failures throughout government.
"Even in the Home Office and Department of Justice alone, it followed on from the loss of 29,000 records. It is a serial failure that has put the British public at risk."