EVERY newborn child should have their DNA taken and stored in a national database, Colchester’s top cop believes.

Chief Supt Tim Newcomb told a public meeting DNA at burglary scenes often helped police catch previous offenders.

But civil liberty campaigners described his comments as “out of step”.

Mr Newcomb, commander of the Eastern division, which covers Colchester and Tendring, accepted that his view was probably a minority one.

He told Essex Police Authority’s meeting at Colchester Charter Hall: “DNA evidence is first class. I would probably be quite happy for DNA to be taken at birth and recorded on a national register.”

The Home Office says gathering DNA helps the police quickly identify offenders, make earlier arrests, get more convictions and provide important leads.

Police can take a DNA sample, along with fingerprints, footwear impressions and a photo, of anyone they arrest and will only destroy it in rare cases.

Nationally, 4.5million DNA profiles are held. In 2007/08, DNA evidence helped solve 17,614 crimes.

Campaigners claim such a database is an infringement of civil liberties, particularly if the DNA of people who have not been found guilty of any crime is held.

Last year, a European Court ruling banned the retention of innocent people’s DNA, but the Government has yet to respond to the ruling.

Isabella Sankey, director of policy at Liberty, said: “If we follow the Chief Superintendent’s logic we will be bar-coding babies at birth before too long.

“Thankfully those who argue in favour of a universal DNA database are out of step – last year our DNA retention regime was ruled unlawful.”

Colchester MP Bob Russell said innocent people should not have DNA kept on record unless a law is made to allow it.

He said: “There is a case to be made for everybody’s DNA to be on record for bodies found at sea or other like cases.”