NIGEL Evans has accused the Government and the Lancashire police of trying to build up a DNA database through the back door.

He spoke after it was revealed that the county force had kept records of more than 1,000 Under 18s who had never been charged or cautioned.

The Ribble Valley Tory MP is now to ask acting Chief Constable Steve Finnegan why so many young people's records have been retained.

In a written Commons answer Home Office Minister Andy Burnham revealed that the Lancashire police had retained the records of 1,041 Under 18s on the national DNA database who had been arrested for a recordable offence but subsequently not charged or cautioned.

A total of 24,168 such young people are on the database from the 43 forces in England and Wales.

The Metropolitan Police in London have retained 3,538, West Midlands 2,152, Greater Manchester 2,099, Kent 1,338, Essex 1,217 and South Yorkshire 1,112. This makes Lancashire's total the seventh highest and the third highest of the shire counties. The lowest figure was West Mercia with just five.

Mr Evans said: "I want to know the reasons for retaining this material."

A Lancashire police spokesman said: "Under current legislation all police forces can now retain DNA samples which are taken at the point of arrest for recordable offences, no matter what happens to the case."