Quickly exit this site by pressing the Escape key Leave this site
We use some essential cookies to make our website work. We’d like to set additional cookies so we can remember your preferences and understand how you use our site.
You can manage your preferences and cookie settings at any time by clicking on “Customise Cookies” below. For more information on how we use cookies, please see our Cookies notice.
Your cookie preferences have been saved. You can update your cookie settings at any time on the cookies page.
Your cookie preferences have been saved. You can update your cookie settings at any time on the cookies page.
Sorry, there was a technical problem. Please try again.
Thanks for trying the 'beta' version of our new website. It's a work in progress, we'll be adding new services over the next few weeks, so please take a look and tell us what you think.
If you're convicted of an offence, we keep a record of your fingerprints and DNA. This is known as your ‘biometric information’. This data or information is kept even if your case is dealt with out of court and ends with a caution, warning or reprimand.
The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 amends to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) lets us keep your biometric information indefinitely. This legislation also states when your data can and will be deleted from our records, including the:
The ACRO Criminal Records Office (ACRO) operates a record deletion service on our behalf. Please check the ACRO website to see if you may be eligible to make an application for having your data deleted. This process also deals with requests to remove certain arrest records or out of court disposals, such as cautions. Court convictions are not eligible for deletion.
ACRO is a national police unit that provides a range of policing-related services for the public, international law enforcement organisations and non-police agencies.
Your enquiries for the removal of data should always go direct to ACRO rather than to us.
If the data you want to request to be removed is held locally by forces, such as custody photos, you can ask for it to be deleted or changed.