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Criminals' details 'not checked' CPS failed to run suspect checks
(about 2 hours later)
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. The Crown Prosecution Service failed to run checks on 2,000 foreign crime suspects for more than a year - 11 of whom have committed crimes in the UK.
Last year the CPS was sent DNA details of 2,000 people wanted by Dutch police for crimes including murder and rape. Last year the CPS was sent DNA details of 2,000 people wanted by Dutch police in connection with crimes including murder and rape.
But it only started running checks this month, and found 15 have been in the UK and 11 have since committed crimes. But it started running checks only this month and found 15 matches in the UK.
A major police operation has now begun to find the 15. The Tories accused the government of "serial failures". A major police operation has now begun to find the 15. The Tories accused the government of putting people at risk.
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. The DNA profiles were sent by Dutch police to London and other European capitals in January 2007 with a request to check if any of the suspects had moved to their countries.
Sick leaveSick 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. The request was not acted on by the CPS until earlier this month when the British DNA database turned up 15 matches and found 11 of the suspects had 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 statementThis 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 to avoid jeopardising the police operation.
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. He said there was a suggestion that the information had been left on an official's desk while 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.""These are profiles relating to unsolved crimes in that country."
It added: "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."
'Serial failures'
The incident follows a series involving 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." Last month Defence Secretary Des Browne announced an inquiry after it emerged that a Royal Navy laptop containing 600,000 people's details had been stolen - and there had been two similar thefts since 2005.
But shadow home secretary David Davis told the BBC: "There are serial failures throughout government. And in December it emerged that details of three million British learner drivers, held on a computer hard drive, had gone missing in the US.
"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." The CPS stressed this case was not "a data security issue", saying: "This information was always in the possession of the CPS."
Shadow home secretary David Davis told the BBC the government was guilty of "serial failures" on data.
"It is a serial failure that has put the British public at risk," he said.