Police in dark over forensics ‘tampering’
POLICE IN Yorkshire remain in the dark about how many convictions and live criminal investigations in the county are at risk after it was revealed that more than 6,000 toxicology results were potentially tampered with at a private forensics lab they used.
Officials from the National Police Chiefs’ Council are still trying to establish as a “top priority” where the 6,000 samples under question are from and what samples need retesting as soon as possible.
Two men were arrested earlier this year by Greater Manchester Police on suspicion of perverting the course of justice over allegations that some 484 cases – over 200 of which related to Yorkshire – handled by Randox Testing Services were affected by what the National Police Chiefs’ Council called “data manipulation” of toxicology results, largely relating to drug-driving matters.
The NPCC has now said an investigation has found more than 6,000 samples are in question and revealed it is possible rape, assault, and murder cases may have been affected.
Around 90 per cent of the 6,000 samples can be retested but a team of forensic experts are now attempting to identify any ongoing cases which require retesting and past cases where convictions could be unsafe.
Yorkshire’s four police forces all make use of forensic services provided from a lab in Wakefield through a company called LGC.
LGC outsourced toxicology work for the Yorkshire forces, as well as those in Cleveland, Durham and Northumbria, to Randox as part of their contract to provide services.
A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said: “We are liaising with the national co-ordination team, to assess what the impact may be locally.”
Philip Goldberg, a managing partner at Minton Morrill Solicitors in Leeds, said if it is proved people have been wrongly convicted they may be able to pursue claims, especially if they have lost work as a result.
“In drug-driving cases, potentially people will have been disqualified and lost their licences and livelihoods. They may have to go back to court and have their licences returned but it could be too late for some people and there could be claims there.”