POLICE chiefs fear for the future of their crucial 'silent witness' with Government funding for taking and analysing DNA samples set to run out.

They are asking the Lancashire Police Authority to find an extra £2.25million from an already over-stretched budget so they can continue to use forensic science and run checks against a national DNA database at the current level.

If the money cannot be found, police chiefs believe "drastic cutbacks" will make it more difficult for them to solve crime.

DNA is estimated to be a major factor in solving around 1,100 cases every year in the county.

But police fear that if funding is not found, that figure will fall to 200 as DNA screening would only be available in the most serious cases.

DNA analysis usually costs £435, but that rises to £3,185 if the results are needed within 48 hours.

Screening DNA for people with a similar profile, which may reveal relatives, costs £5,000. A super-sensitive analysis where DNA is obtained from a few cells costs £2,135.

Every year in Lancashire 1,700 samples from crime scenes are sent for analysis. And more than 12,000 samples are taken from prisoners to store on the database.

DNA testing has quadrupled since 2000 when the Government started short-term funding to encourage forces to use the new technology.

But that cash is expected to run out next year - and Lancashire Police would need £2.25million from its budget to continue at the same level in 2005 and 2006.

Police chiefs have drawn up a report, which will be discussed by the police authority at a meeting on Wednesday, to gain support for making the cash available.

It says: "The levels of DNA sampling would have to be reduced to the pre-Home Office funding days.

"This would involve drastic cutbacks and result in officers being denied access to technology which provides detections and convictions.

"Decisions would need to be made which areas to axe, eg. burglary, drugs, driving and assaults.

"There is a heavy reliance on scientific intelligence and evidence. The credibility of police and witness evidence is often insufficient for court purposes and therefore science, the 'silent witness' is often crucial."