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Reaction to the Forensic Science Service scrapping

More serious and violent crimimals could escape justice in the wake of the decision to break up the ‘British CSI’, scientists have warned.

This is likely to be the net effect cash-strapped police cutting back on DNA analysis while this world-renowned forensic organisation grinds to a halt.

The decision to break up the Forensic Science Service, which was losing £2million a month, also leaves 1,650 staff facing redundancy.

Prof Sue Black, a forensic anthropol­ogist at Dundee University, "We may just have taken a very significant stride backwards – these are troubling times for justice."

FSS scientists work in laboratories and at crime scenes, gathering evidence in cases ranging from murders to property crimes and were called out to investigate last week’s attack on Prince Charles’s Rolls-Royce.

Its experts have solved countless high-profile cases, including Suffolk strangler Steve Wright, the Soham murders and the hoax kidnap of schoolgirl Shannon Matthews.

But it will be broken up from next month and closed by March 2012. Home Office minister James Brokenshire claimed the service could run out of cash as soon as January.

Its work will have to be undertaken by cash-strapped police forces, who are already struggling to cope with government-ordered spending cuts of up to 20 per cent.

Experts warned routine police work could suffer if forces have to divert more officers into forensic duties. For example, they say the work of the FSS after the 2005 bomb attacks in London allowed the Met to carry on dealing with its day-to-day cases undisturbed.

FSS staff unions are angry at the lack of consultation. Mike Clancy, from Prospect, said, "Cost will now determine justice in the UK."

Meanwhile Chorley MP Lindsay Hoyle has condemned the Government's plans. Mr Hoyle had already opposed the closure of the Forensic Science Service Laboratory in Chorley and was informed at the time that the work carried out could be absorbed by other FSS laboratories in the country.

He claims the coalition’s decision to close all FSS labs leaves essential crime scene forensic analysis in the hands of private operators. Mr Hoyle said, “By its very nature the work carried out by the Forensic Science Service can be time consuming and costly.

"However, you cannot put a price on justice and evidence unearthed by forensic scientists has often led to convictions. The private sector will simply not be willing to undertake large volumes of work which result in them losing money.

"In my view this seriously jeopardises the justice system in this country.

"The government do not appear to address this issue in their statement and are making huge cuts which could put public safety at risk."