Dozens of North Yorkshire drug-driving convictions found to be unsafe after forensics scandal

Almost 2,000 criminal cases in Yorkshire affected by forensics scandalOver 10,000 cases across the country - including almost 2,000 in Yorkshire, have been affected, largely in drug-driving cases, including violent crime, sexual offences and unexplained deaths.

Two men were arrested earlier this year over the alleged manipulation of forensics results at Manchester-based firm Randox Testing Services, who supplied services to all four of Yorkshire’s police forces.

North Yorkshire Police has 493 affected cases where toxicology results need to be retested. It has now revealed that of the 59 results to come back so far, 27 returned a negative result, three cases had a “varying outcome” and there was an insufficient sample to examine on six occasions. A further six cases due to come before court have been discontinued.

The Crown Prosecution Service will be informing defendants in cases where there are now doubts about the safety of a conviction.

Assistant Chief Constable Phil Cain, of North Yorkshire Police, said: “This is a serious and widespread issue that is being addressed at a national level, and we are doing absolutely everything we can locally to support that national effort.”

It follows 13 cases being discontinued in West Yorkshire, with a further 13 results where someone has been convicted of a drug or drink-driving offence found to have “either have an insufficient sample to complete a retest, or on retesting, show a result under the legal limit”.

It is believed the full retesting programme could take up to three years to complete because of the limited number of specialists available to conduct the work.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council has said three-quarters of the cases involving Manchester-based Randox Testing Services, across 42 police forces, were traffic offences such as drug driving, with the rest including violent crime, sexual offences and unexplained deaths.

Retests have so far found no impact on cases of sexual offence cases, violence or homicide.

But a number of retests had resulted in drug driving cases being discontinued and two road deaths had been referred to the Court of Appeal.

Of the around 50 cases due to go to trial which have been dropped nationally, some were discontinued due to there being no sample available for retesting, the sample was insufficient in quality or quantity to allow retesting or there had been degradation of evidence.

Two men have been arrested and five interviewed under caution by Greater Manchester Police over the scandal.

The alleged manipulation emerged earlier this year when a data anomaly in a drug driving case was reported to Randox.

It has also been revealed results from a second laboratory are now under investigation - with child protection and family court cases potentially affected.

Results from a second Manchester-based laboratory called Trimega are being examined, with child protection and family court cases dealt with between 2010 and April 2014 potentially affected. It is understood the two suspects arrested in connection with the alleged malpractice at Randox also worked for Trimega.

The company was involved in hair strand testing for drug and alcohol use in proceedings where courts were making decisions about a child’s upbringing.