A senior judge said the entire UK population and every visitor to the country should be included on the national DNA database, creating a debate over the controversial issue.

Lord Justice Sedley, one of the most experienced Appeal Court judges in England, said that an extended database would aid crime prevention and the current database was unfair and inconsistent.

He told BBC News this morning: “Where we are at the moment is indefensible. We have a situation where if you happen to have been in the hands of the police, then your DNA is on permanent record. If you haven’t, it isn’t... that’s broadly the picture.”

Sir Stephen said disproportionate numbers of ethnic minorities get on to the database where there is ethnic profiling going on.

He added: “It also means that a great many people who are walking the streets, and whose DNA would show them guilty of crimes, go free”.

There are currently four million profiles held on the national DNA database.

Critics say those who commit certain offences should have their details removed after a set period.

Various organisations, including the Police Federation, civil rights groups and the Government, joined in the debate over the contentious issue, which has also raised the ire of members of the public.

Gordon Brown’s spokesman said the Prime Minister has no plans to expand the DNA database system.

“The Prime Minister is very supportive of the DNA database which has been very successful in tackling crime, but there are no plans to introduce a universal compulsory or voluntary national database,” the spokesman said.

“There would be huge logistical and bureaucratic issues to deal with along with civil liberty concerns.”

Shami Chakrabart, director of the human rights organisation Liberty, said: “A database of those convicted of sexual and violent crime is a perfectly sensible crimefighting measure.”

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