Police are busting more criminals thanks to DNA evidence.

Figures released today show Sussex officers made positively identified 426 suspects from 962 samples taken from crime scenes during the three months ending in September.

This compares to 200 from 525 samples during the same period last year and 119 from 294 the year before.

The force expects DNA "hits" to continue increasing during the next few years.

Chief Constable Paul Whitehouse said the recent decision to DNA test everyone arrested in Sussex for any recordable offence was paying dividends.

He said it was proving so effective an offender might think twice about continuing a life of crime.

Mr Whitehouse said: "This enhanced ability to link known offenders to the scenes of their crimes greatly increases the likelihood of them being arrested."

DNA is now being used to trace the small band of young criminals responsible for most car crimes in Sussex.

Latest figures show there were more than 25,000 thefts of or from cars in the year to March - almost one every 20 minutes.

They represent a fifth of all crime in the county and a quarter of all car crime in Sussex occurs in Brighton and Hove.

The force wants to spend about £600,000 on DNA tests from car crime scenes.

More forensic vehicle examiners would be hired to carry out the work.

Some already employed in Brighton have helped cut car crime in recent months.