At least 40 motorists convicted of drug-driving offences have been cleared after evidence of manipulation was found in the forensic testing process.<\/p>\n
The motorists were banned from driving and in some cases fined, but their convictions have since been overturned.<\/p>\n
About 10,500 test results are being reviewed after data was allegedly manipulated at Randox Testing Services.<\/p>\n
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) described it as a “most serious breach” of forensic science standards.<\/p>\n
A further 50 drug-driving cases have been dropped as a result of the alleged data manipulation at the firm’s Manchester laboratory.<\/p>\n
Police suspended all contracts<\/a>\u00a0with the company, used by 42 of the UK’s 43 forces, in November last year.<\/p>\n Greater Manchester Police has\u00a0arrested two men<\/a>, aged 47 and 31, who worked at one of its laboratories.<\/p>\n They were arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.<\/p>\n Six others have been interviewed under caution, with one remaining under investigation as part of what Justice Minister, Lucy Frazier, described last month as an “expansive” criminal inquiry.<\/p>\n In total, up to 2,700 cases have been re-analysed so far and two drug-driving cases that resulted in road deaths were referred to the Court of Appeal.<\/p>\n Both convictions were upheld but one motorist’s sentence was reduced.<\/p>\n Two other cases involving drug-driving have also been sent to the Court of Appeal. One conviction was quashed and the other has yet to be decided.<\/p>\n Ch Con James Vaughan, NPCC lead on forensics, said he could not remember a forensic science failure “of this magnitude”.<\/p>\n He said re-testing was taking longer than expected because there was a “chronic shortage” of scientific expertise and accredited laboratories, leading to delays in providing toxicology analysis in unrelated cases of sexual offence and rape.<\/p>\n Source: bbc.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Expertise shortage<\/h2>\n