Orchid awarded Thames Valley DNA testing service

Orchid BioSciences has been selected by the UK's Thames Valley Police as its exclusive provider of forensic DNA testing services. The three-year multi-million dollar contract, extendable for an additional two years, was awarded through Orchid's strategic partner Forensic Alliance. Orchid Cellmark has supplied part of Thames Valley Police's forensic DNA testing needs since 1998, and this contract now appoints Orchid Cellmark as the sole supplier of these services. Thames Valley Police is one of the UK's largest police forces and the largest non-metropolitan police force in the country.

UK government funding for forensic DNA analysis has increased significantly in recent years through its DNA Expansion Plan. In 2004 parliament passed legislation that gives police forces the authority to take DNA samples, using a mouth swab, from all arrestees for inclusion in the country's National DNA Database. The database now has more than 2.5m entries, which is enabling a crime-solving 'hit rate' of nearly 50%. This means that almost one out of every two DNA profiles generated from crime scene evidence matches up with the profile of an individual already in the database, enabling the police to identify the suspect from the database population. This high 'hit rate' is making the DNA database a powerful intelligence tool for the investigation of a wide range of offences.

'We take tremendous pride in delivering rapid, quality forensic DNA analyses, as well as in the way we work together with our police customers to ensure that the full benefits of DNA analysis are brought to the solving of crimes,' said David Hartshorne, commercial director of Orchid's European unit.