LONDON - Europe’s top human rights court yesterday struck down a British law that allows the government to store DNA and fingerprints from people with no criminal record - a landmark decision that could force Britain to destroy nearly 1 million samples on its database.

Rights groups say the ruling could have even wider implications for the storage of other sensitive and personal data. “It’s a fantastic result after a seven-year, hard-fought battle,” said Peter Mahy, a lawyer who represented the two Britons.