24 SEPTEMBER 1988, Page 27

Hess's DNA

Sir: As pointed out by Doctors Kevin O'Dell and David Coates whose assistance to date I greatly appreciate, DNA testing will prove the relationship between Wolf Rudiger Hess and prisoner No. 7, a posi- tive relationship making it highly probable that he was Hess, a negative relationship suggesting that he was not.

Even though total forensic evidence already exists, this additional evidence would be invaluable and was first proposed by Dr Charnley and myself in 1987.

Unfortunately, army medical college personnel refuse even to discuss the release of material which would make this test feasible. The Foreign Office could easily authorise release for examination by such experts. Failure to do so would again seem to indict them as in the previous cases of the fingerprints and dental records.

Hugh Thomas

Brecon, Wales