The promise of $40 was enough to persuade plenty of people to line up in the rain outside City Hall yesterday and part with their DNA.

An appeal by Bermuda Police Service for 400 volunteers to help establish baseline DNA data for the Island was a success, with officers last night saying they had reached their target and would not be requiring any further volutneers.

Earlier, The Royal Gazette chatted with a line of more than 20 people suffering through the wind and rain to give their sample. Almost everyone said they were there for the $40 per person offered for the donation.

"I'm here because I can't work. I physically can't work," said one person in line. "I'm only here for the money," said another.

While some were content with the $40, others joked about getting a little more. "I think my father might be Prince Charles," joked one.

Another suggested: "I might be one of Michael Jackson's one night stands."

Inside the police van, participants signed a paper confirming that they lived in Bermuda and ticked a box to say whether they were black or white.

One 30-second swabbing from the inside of their cheeks later and volunteers left the vehicle $40 richer, unless they opted to donate the cash to a local charity of their choice.

The samples collected yesterday will be used to establish the frequency of DNA strands in Bermuda and create a local DNA database, which will be of use to criminal prosecutors and defence lawyers alike.

All samples taken yesterday are to be destroyed and no names were recorded.

By 3 p.m., almost 400 men and women had given samples, and while there were 250 black donors, organisers were still looking for more whites.

While many were happy just to have a little more spending money, at least one person was thinking bigger. "I'm going to give mine to the church," they said.