ONE in five forensic scientists in East Yorkshire could be axed as part of police cost-cutting moves.

At least 20 per cent of scenes-of-crime officers, DNA experts and fingerprint specialists face losing their jobs in a shake-up which would see the services shared across the forces covering Humberside, North, West and South Yorkshire.

A report which went before Humberside Police Authority showed during 2010/11, £36.9 million will be spent on salaries, work carried out by the soon to be disbanded Forensic Science Service, pathology fees, running costs and the use of national fingerprint technology between the four forces.

Peter Morriss, Humberside Police’s scientific support manager, said he hoped other forces would bear the brunt of the losses, adding: “We are already quite lean, so the hope would be that Humberside Police’s officers would be okay.

“We are traversing some worrying times and there is uncertainty and genuine concern. But we will see evolution of scientific support, not revolution.”

The four Yorkshire forces employ more than 550 people in their scientific support departments, but under the proposals this will be reduced to 438. If the plans are approved, the annual costs are intended to reduce to £28.2 million.

The changeover would also mean everybody employed in the scientific support sections would eventually be employed by South Yorkshire Police, regardless of which area they work in.

Tad Krawczyk, branch officer for the staff union Unison at Humberside Police, said: “We are working with the force to make sure our members are properly looked after.”