It follows the Omagh bomb Judge to give Omagh bomb verdict ...
South Africa 'losing Aids battle' ... verdict, when Sean Hoey was cleared of 58 charges, including the murders of 29 people.

The Crown Prosecution Service said it would review live prosecutions in England and Wales involving Low Copy Number (LCN) DNA.

Northern Ireland's Chief Constable, Sir Hugh Orde, also said he had instigated an immediate review.

The Forensic Science Quality Regulator, set up by the Home Office, will be carrying out the examinations.

The BBC's Michael Buchanan said that the Association of Chief Police Officers produced a confidential report in August which called for the technique to be urgently reviewed.

'Vital ingredient'

LCN is a relatively recent development of DNA science which allows analysis of tiny samples of skin cells, sweat and other bodily fluids.

At the heart of the case against Mr Hoey were the bomb timers used in the attacks.

Forensic scientists had examined them for both fibres and DNA using the LCN technique.

The prosecution claimed the forensic examination had shown links to Mr Hoey, a south Armagh electrician.

The judge in the Omagh trial rejected LCN because it was not seen to be at a sufficiently scientific level as yet to be considered evidence.

Sir Hugh said: "I have asked for an urgent review of all cases that rely in any way, shape or form on Low Copy Number DNA."

He said it was at the very cutting edge of science and had been used in the trial because of his determination to build a case.

But Sir Hugh said: "It is a vital ingredient of cases in the future which will bring very guilty people to justice."

Previous cases

LCN testing has been used in a number of other high-profile cases.

It has been reported that it was this technique which was used by the FSS in Birmingham to examine DNA samples from the car hired by the McCanns.

And in 2000 Ian Lowther was convicted of the murder of Mary Gregson, who was walking along the Leeds-Liverpool canal towpath in August 1977.

The DNA LCN technique allowed scientists to go back and generate a DNA profile from an old semen stain originally found on the clothing.

(BBC)

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