Absent fathers suspected of faking paternity tests to avoid paying child maintenance will have their DNA checked against police records in a new crackdown.

Officials fear there is a growing trend of ‘deadbeat dads’ trying to get out of supporting their families by fraudulently denying they are the father of their children.

Several men have been convicted in recent months of sending friends – or even strangers – to GP surgeries in order to take DNA tests in their place.

A cotton stick used in paternity testing. Officials fear there is a growing trend of ‘deadbeat dads’ trying to get out of supporting their families by fraudulently denying they are the father of their children

Now the Child Support Agency (CSA) has demanded the right to compare samples from suspected fathers with the genetic profiles of convicted criminals held on the National DNA Database.

Matthew Wall received a suspended jail term after pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud

But privacy campaigners fear the move – which has never been discussed in public or in Parliament – represents a worrying expansion of the Home Office-run DNA system, which is only meant to be used to solve crimes.

Emma Carr, director of Big Brother Watch, said: ‘We have consistently seen the negative effect that allowing too many people access to such a sensitive database can have on data protection.’

Last week, Matthew Wall received a suspended jail term after pleading guilty to conspiracy to defraud.

He tried to avoid paying £25,000 in child support by getting a ‘bloke in the pub’ to take his paternity test.

The 27-year-old, from Shropshire, was caught because his ex-girlfriend had already privately arranged a test.