ANNE Snelgrove MP suggests that there are those who oppose the greater use of DNA to track down criminals - one wonders who the those are, (SA, November 6). The truth is more likely to be that no one opposes the greater use of DNA to track down criminals but there are those who oppose the building of a national DNA database under the guise of public protection. I am sure that police used DNA matching as part of the total evidence in solving 390,000 crimes over the 10 year period referred to by Ms Snelgrove. Perhaps she should tell your readers the number of offenders and re-offenders who committed the 390,000 crimes as I am sure the figure does not refer to new crimes only.

The creation of a 60 million person database will not reduce crime by so much as a jot but it will provide the state with an enormous amount of information which, given its propensity to lose or misuse such data, should cause people to be concerned.

The public support the use of new scientific and forensic techniques to enable the police to apprehend those who commit criminal actions. Treating everyone as a potential criminal may be the policy of the Labour Party to which Ms Snelgrove belongs but it is at variance with the principles of a true libertine socialist. I am reminded of the words of Benjamin Franklin who said 'They that give up an essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety'.

DES MORGAN Caraway Drive Swindon