THE McKie fingerprint campaigners cannot walk away from justice as they plan to do, according to those who are being put out of their jobs because of the affair.

The union representing six fingerprint experts on the other side of the controversy responded angrily to a McKie family announcement that they do not intend to appear before a public inquiry.

Iain McKie, who has been campaigning for an explanation of why his daughter Shirley was prosecuted for perjury, cleared, and then given a GBP750,000 out-of-court settlement by the Scottish Executive, said on Tuesday they were giving up their inquiry campaign and that he did not want to appear before one if it was called.

However, Unison, which represents the fingerprint experts at the Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO), said the case needs a public inquiry more than ever.

They have been frustrated that the McKie father and daughter team have enjoyed prolonged positive media publicity, with the civil servants unable to answer back to clear their names. Four of them were suspended and, since reinstatement, they are not able to appear as Crown witnesses in prosecutions. They are among six SCRO staff being offered redundancy deals to draw a line under the embarrassing controversy.

Their chance to answer the McKies' claims about them came during an inquiry by Holyrood's Justice 2 Committee. That followed Shirley McKie's strong reaction to MSPs' hostile questioning, alleging they were trying to put her on trial again.

Her case stemmed from the murder of Marion Ross in Kilmarnock nearly 10 years ago, when Ms McKie was a 34year-old detective constable.

She denied she had been at the crime scene after SCRO officers said her fingerprints were found there. She was put on trial for perjury and cleared, after which she lodged a case for compensation, resulting in last February's GBP750,000 pay-out.

Anne Russell, Unison's regional officer, said the case for an inquiry goes on, and the McKies must answer to it.

"Justice is not a pick-andmix option that campaigns can select, or not, as a weapon, " she said. "As part of the campaign, our members have been suspended, investigated, accused of malicious conspiracy and had the best possibility of them clearing their name - the court case - dashed from them at the last minute by deals between the McKies and the executive."

The fingerprint experts who were suspended as a result of the controversy were Hugh Macpherson, Charles Stewart, Anthony McKenna and Fiona McBride. Along with supervisors Alan Dunbar and Robert McKenzie, they are being offered redundancy terms.

"Most, if not all, of the accusations against these hardworking public servants have been found to be false and no action has ever been found to be justified against them, " said Ms Russell. "Despite this they face the end of their careers, and Marion Ross's murderer walks the streets. How does this serve the ends of justice?"