10 SEPTEMBER 1988, Page 24

Hess or no

Sir: In his review of Hugh Thomas's book (23 July), John Zametica claims that the man who died in Spandau Prison last year was not Rudolf Hess. Such a claim may be substantiated by the use of DNA fingerprinting. This technique is in- creasingly used in establishing rela- tionships in cases of disputed paternity and immigration. An investigation of this type would clearly require the co-operation of the extant Hess family from whom blood samples would be needed. Tissue samples from the putative Rudolf Hess would presumably be available from the two autopsies referred to in Zametica's review. Dr Kevin O'Dell Dr David Coates

Genetics Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, South Parks Road, Oxford