Norfolk DNA Kit Available On High Street

'assuredna' is the first UK approved and regulated kit to be sold in pharmacies across the nation.

'assuredna' is manufactured by Anglia DNA at Norwich Research Park. The test uses DNA collected from a cotton swab from the inside of the mouth to remove cells containing the DNA and is then sent off to Anglia DNA for analysis.

The test is the first of it's kind to be sold to the public from local pharmacies and will be a big step in being able to find out who has fathered the child. Currently around 50,000 birth certificates are left blank every year and 1 in 25 assumed father's in the UK are not the biological father.

The tests can only be taken with full signed consent and ID from the father, mother and child. If the child is under 16 then the mother must consent for the child to be tested. When the samples are taken then they are sent to Anglia DNA for analysis.

However, the tests will not be given out freely. The families must call a dedicated helpline and speak with a trained member of staff to find out if the test is suitable for them, then they are also encouraged to contact support groups and are offered an aftercare call, post result.

The paternity tests are returned in one to five days and cost £29.99 plus a lab fee of £129 pounds. They have an accuracy rate in excess of 99.99 per cent.