Thousands of criminals could be evading police because of the reluctance of some countries to share vital biometric data, Interpol has warned.

Nearly half of the global law enforcement agency's 186 member states currently do not share any biometric data, such as finger prints or facial recognition records.

In an interview with Sky News at the Interpol World Headquarters in Lyon, the Head of the Fingerprint Unit, Mark Branchflower, called for the creation of an international biometrics database large enough to hold the details of hundreds of thousands of people that could be accessed by police forces anywhere in the world.

Mr Branchflower claimed the current 80,000-record database operated by the global law enforcement agency was not sufficient in the international fight against crime and terrorism.

He said: "Probably 90 countries do not participate in our existing database at the moment.

"We are hoping to encourage them to participate... and we are receiving more data from certain countries. We are making more successful identifications, so that is showing that there is a need to exchange data."

The proposed centralised database would hold fingerprint information, DNA profiles and facial recognition data.

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