IN the past few years DNA sampling has had a dramatic effect on the fight against crime.

All around the world police have been able to link people with crimes of all kinds thanks to science.

Minute traces discovered at the scenes of crimes have been able to provide detectives with a genetic fingerprint which can be matched to samples of saliva or blood.

By screening groups of possible suspects or testing against already-held samples of DNA from convicted criminals held on a database, police are able to pinpoint those responsible.

Such science has led to the conviction of all kinds of offenders from burglars to rapists and with such a proven record it seems ridiculous that its future use should be threatened by cash shortages.

Government funding is set to run out and officers are asking the police authority to find an extra £2.25million to continue. Every years more than 12,000 samples are taken from prisoners to store on a database and 1,700 stains from crime scenes are sent for analysis.

If the money is not forthcoming police warn that "substantial cutbacks" will have to be made in DNA sampling across the county and it could be scrapped altogether in investigations into some offences.

This is not acceptable. Such a useful weapon in the war against crime must be fully used.