CHILDREN who commit sexual or violent offences may have their DNA stored by the police.

CHILDREN who commit sexual or violent offences may have their DNA stored by the police.

Ministers have asked experts to look at whether samples from such offenders who appear before children's panels should be retained.

Scotland has already rejected proposals to create a national DNA database, but officials want to tighten up the legislation.

The review will be carried out by Professor James Fraser, the head of Strathclyde University's Centre for Forensic Science.

Under the current system, police are only allowed to retain DNA samples from children convicted of serious offences in an adult court.

Kenny MacAskill, the Justice Secretary, said: "We recognise there remain differences of opinion and believe there is merit in examining whether there are further changes to the regime that we can ask Parliament to consider.

"Our Government has already made clear we do not support the blanket retention of all forensic information taken from innocent people. We are not persuaded, for example, that it would generally be right for the police to keep fingerprints and DNA samples from everyone who is detained but not convicted, or even prosecuted."

Authorities in Scotland are only allowed to store permanently the DNA of people convicted of crimes.

Police hold samples of those charged with, but not convicted of, serious sexual and violent offences, for three years.

Helen Wallace, of campaign group Genewatch, which lobbies against the blanket retention of DNA, said she was relaxed about profiles being kept of juveniles.

She said: "Such a proposal would have to be justified by evidence that it's likely to prevent serious crimes."