BLUNDERS which linked a Radcliffe man to a burglary through fingerprints found at the scene ended up costing him his job and his family.

Now Stephen Wallace is planning to sue Greater Manchester Police after he was wrongly accused of burgling a local garage.

Forensic experts at GMP's Bradford Park fingerprint unit in Manchester linked him to the scene. However, an independent review requested by Mr Wallace showed the prints were not his.

As a result the Crown Prosecution Service was forced to offer no evidence last Monday when Mr Wallace appeared before Bolton Crown Court in connection with the burglary at a Volvo garage in Sunnybank, Bury, last year.

Police chiefs have now publicly apologised to Mr Wallace.

Although Mr Wallace has previous convictions for driving offences and assault, he maintained his innocence about the burglary charge. The former salesman, of Colshaw Close East, said: "I was in trouble about six or seven years ago but since then I've found a nice girl, started a family and stayed out of trouble. Now it's all crumbled. "I pleaded not guilty all the way through this. I told them I had never been to that garage before in my life."

He added: "The police saying sorry is not going to bring my life and job back. I will be taking legal advice on the matter."

The blunder came to light only hours after the BBC Panorama programme questioned the accuracy of fingerprint identification in criminal proceedings.

An investigation has been launched by police chiefs. Disciplinary action is also being considered.

A GMP spokesman said: "Fingerprint evidence is a matter of opinion and is subject to clarification at any time.

"Where an accused person is clear in the knowledge that the fingerprint could not be theirs, we would encourage the examination of the fingerprint by an expert working on behalf of the defence."