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Police ordered to consider revealing ethnicity of suspects
New interim guidance aims to improve transparency by allowing police to disclose suspect ethnicity and nationality in high-profile cases to combat misinformation, says the National Police Chiefs' Council.
- The National Police Chiefs' Council and College of Policing issued interim guidance on 2025-08-13 requiring forces to disclose suspects' ethnicity and nationality when charged in high-profile cases with a policing purpose.
- This guidance follows public concern and misinformation from recent incidents like the 2024 Southport murders and protests after two Afghan asylum seekers were charged over a rape in Warwickshire.
- A senior police communications leader highlighted the importance of updating law enforcement procedures to keep pace with the rapid spread of information on social media, aiming to reduce the risk of harmful misinformation affecting public safety.
- The guidance allows disclosure only with a policing reason such as reducing public safety risks, countering misinformation, or serving significant public interest, while immigration status verification remains the Home Office's duty.
- Authorities expect the guidance to improve transparency and public trust, with the College of Policing planning a broader media relations review and public consultation later this year.
30 Articles
30 Articles
After ‘Cover-Up’ Rows, UK Police Urged To Name Suspects’ Ethnicity
Police in England and Wales are now being told they “should” reveal the nationality and ethnicity of criminal suspects in high-profile cases—but the wording stops short of making it compulsory, leaving forces free to keep such details secret. The new guidance from Britain’s National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and College of Policing comes after a series of high-profile rows over withheld facts in serious crimes, including the alleged rape of …
UK police can disclose suspects’ ethnicity to curb misinformation
British police have been told they can release details of a suspect's ethnicity and nationality in high-profile and sensitive cases to prevent the spread of false information on social media.
UK police can disclose ethnicity of suspects to curb misinformation
British police have been told they can release details of a suspect’s ethnicity and nationality in high-profile and sensitive cases to prevent false information being spread on social media. Last year, Britain was rocked by days of rioting after the murder of three young girls in Southport after misinformation spread online that the teenage suspect was a migrant. The issue has remained highly contentious since, with the populist Reform UK party,…
The police guidance on revealing ethnicity does not go far enough
At nine minutes past eight on the evening of Monday May 26, Merseyside Police did something that no other British police force had done before. Just two hours after a car had collided with football fans celebrating Liverpool’s Premier League triumph in the crowded city centre, the force proactively published the ethnicity and nationality of
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