Drug-drive convicts in clear after faulty tests

HUNDREDS of drug-driving convictions may be quashed after lab samples were found to be faulty.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council said some evidence handled by Synlab Laboratory Services is “no longer reliable”.

Police chiefs said the firm reported issues with its analysis of samples in December. Some 831 were identified – 588 of them relating to concluded cases.

Synlab voluntarily suspended its accreditation and the issues have been reported to the United Kingdom Accreditation Service and the Forensic Science Regulator.

James Vaughan, who leads the NPCC’s work on forensics, said: “Any case where an individual has been convicted on evidence that is no longer reliable is a huge regret.

“It’s absolutely vital that we maintain a robust forensic testing system that provides reliable evidence to the courts.”