DRINK drive samples are on ice after Chorley scientists withdrew their testing services.

The Chorley-based Forensic Science Service lab is due to close next month and the entire organisation shuts down in a year’s time.

Every single blood sample taken from suspected drink drivers is processed at Chorley.

A leaked memo to the National Police Improvement Agency (NPIA) states all blood and urine samples will now be refrigerated until a private company can be found to take on the workload.

The NPIA said it hopes to find ‘alternative suppliers’ within seven working days and urged forces not to make their own arrangements.

The FSS had planned to move the drink-drive service to another site until the Government announced the wind-up of the organisation in December.

The Chorley lab used to process 20,000 samples a year, but with better roadside technology, they only examine around 500 samples a month - usually in cases where there is a legal challenge of the breath test results.

The FSS will continue to process samples in drug drive cases at other sites as it uses a different technology.

It will also continue to handle ‘Alcohol Technical Defence’ cases where scientists can pinpoint the time when alcohol was consumed - used when a hit and run driver tests positive for alcohol and claims to have drunk after the incident.

A spokesman for the FSS said they had notified the Government in January of their decision.

She maintained: “Our first priority is to manage the progressive wind down of the FSS in the best possible way for the criminal justice system to suffer minimal disruption.”

The memo added: "We appreciate the challenges and difficulties that this change may cause your force.

"However, we would ask that you continue to work with us whilst we resolve this issue."

The Chorley lab employs around 150 people after the first round of 30 redundancies took effect in December.