Judges reject DNA samples appeal

13 November 2012 Last updated at 11:15 ET

Police in Northern Ireland can retain indefinitely DNA samples and fingerprints of convicted offenders, the High Court in Belfast has ruled.

Judges rejected a test case which tried to establish the policy was a breach of privacy rights.

A European ruling had found it was wrong to retain the profiles of people who had been found innocent.

Lawyers for a man convicted of drink-driving had tried to get this extended to those guilty of "lesser offences".

They had predicted that if judges backed their case, it could lead to the destruction of vast amounts of police records throughout Europe.

The retention of data serves the additional purpose of discouraging a convicted offender from re-offending

According to records, there are some 700,000 fingerprints and 123,000 DNA samples on the database in Northern Ireland alone.

Fergus Gaughran provided his fingerprints, a photograph and DNA profiles after being arrested for suspected drink-driving near Camlough, County Armagh in October 2008.

He later pleaded guilty to the offence and was disqualified from driving for a year.

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Judges reject DNA samples appeal