A body part has been needlessly kept by Kent Police from a suspicious death case no longer being investigated.

The force said the sample was kept in error and detectives are in talks with the person’s family.

A snapshot survey by the Association of Chief Police Officers found Kent Police had retained three human samples.

Kent Police said the second was kept for a criminal examination and is now no longer being retained.

The third body part is being held for an ongoing criminal investigation, of which the family of the dead person is aware.

Across Britain, almost 500 body parts and organs no longer needed for murder and suspicious death inquiries have been stored by police forces.

A report by ACPO found it was unclear why so many of the samples – including brains, hearts and human limbs – had been kept.

In some cases, police are legally required to retain samples until a convicted prisoner’s sentence has been served.

But there appears to be no nationally-agreed policy to deal with the body parts at the conclusion of the criminal investigation or justice process.

Assistant Chief Constable Gary Beautridge, head of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate said: “When a death occurs, human tissue seizure, examination and retention can play a critical role in establishing cause in any investigation which follows.

“This is not always a criminal matter and during the course of an investigation it is sometimes necessary to examine and retain materials.

“In accordance with the Criminal Procedures and Investigations Act (1996), there is a requirement for evidence to be retained until criminal proceedings are complete. This can lead to the retention of evidence for significant timescales.

“A number of agencies have responsibility for the samples, including the coroner and the police.

“These samples frequently prove to be critical evidence and essential in bringing the most dangerous criminals to justice.”

He added that family liaison officers have “visited every family concerned and offered personal explanations”.

Mr Beautridge added: “As a result of the audit, work to update policy to provide advice to police officers regarding legal, ethical and moral issues concerning the retention and disposal of human tissue following suspicious death cases is ongoing.”

The most samples kept in Britain were by the Police Service of Northern Ireland, with 71.

West Midlands kept 40, The Metropolitan Police 39, Merseyside 37, Cambridgeshire 35 and West Yorkshire 31. Neighbouring Essex Police was found not to have kept any samples.