Forensic science firms to seek early validation on new products

FORENSIC science companies have agreed to tell their industry's regulator about new products they are developing confidentially, so they can be validated before being used in real criminal cases.

Andy Rennison, the UK's forensic science regulator, said companies have agreed to trust him to keep the commercially sensitive information confidential in order for it to go through a validation process.

The process is designed to prevent another scenario like the low template DNA controversy in the Omagh bombing case. The judge questioned the validity of the technique and suspect Sean Hoey was cleared of 58 charges. The use of low template DNA was temporarily banned but the ban was lifted in January (PR, 18 January 2008).

As a public appointee, Mr Rennison, a former chief superintendent, is independent, though his support team comes from the Home Office. He is still working with the police service and the Crown Prosecution Service on what the validation process will entail, but told Police Review the aim is ensure any new processes are safe to use in prosecutions.

He said: 'Part of the trick for me is to identify what is coming next. The companies that are out there, if they are developing new products, have already told me about them. So I can make sure that before those products hit the shelf, they have been properly validated and are safe for use.'

Image: Andy Rennison (pictured) will ensure forensic products are valid. 229 of 640 words