Millions of innocent people who have just reported a crime have their details stored on police databases, an FOI request by The Press Association has revealed.  BBC news report

A total of 13 forces responded with details revealing how they held between 10,091 records – in Lincolnshire – and 1.1 million records, in  West Midlands.    Others, including  Lancashire, Cleveland, Avon and Somerset, Gloucestershire, West Mercia and North Wales, hold more than 150,000 each.  The majority of forces said it was not possible to collect the information because the scale of the task was too big. 

These records included details of millions of victims of crime as well as suspects and offenders.  Police forces said personal information was spread across up to 22 databases and that details of the same person could be recorded several times.  They said staff and officers were following guidance published by the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA).

 Records held by police forces

• Sussex – 5.6 million over seven years
• Hertfordshire – 1.6 million since 1989
• West Midlands – 1.1 million over 12 years
• Lancashire – around 600,000
• North Wales – 302,754
• Cleveland – 172,369
• Avon and Somerset – 162,968
• Lincolnshire – 10,091