The taking and retention of DNA samples are subject to the provisions contained in Part V of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984. PACE provides that samples may be retained for persons who have been arrested and detained at the police station for a recordable offence; and that profiles taken from these samples and placed on the database may be subject to speculative search. We consider that is a proportionate and effective threshold to help eliminate the innocent during the course of an investigation as well contributing to the detection and conviction of the guilty.