Forensic science failures putting justice at risk, says regulator

System on a 'knife-edge' due to skills shortages and funding cuts in England and Wales

Innocent people are being wrongly convicted and criminals are escaping justice because of the failure of the forensic science system to meet basic standards, the regulator has said.

Delivering a stark message before the release of her annual report on Tuesday, the forensic science regulator, Dr Gillian Tully, told the Guardian the service had been operating "on a knife-edge" for years.