Our client had been issued a police caution for possession of a firearm with intent. The allegation was over 15 years old, but was still having a significant impact on the client’s professional career.

The police were initially resistant to deleting the client’s caution, however we were able to persuade the police to reconsider our representations, and they eventually agreed to delete the caution.

Now that the caution has been deleted, the client will have a clean “criminal record”.

The police had agreed to not only expunge the caution, but also to expunge the entire Police National Computer (PNC) record. This means that when a PNC check is undertaken by the police, the client will return a “no trace” record. This will therefore mean that a standard DBS check will be clear, and also it is very unlikely any information will be disclosed on an enhanced DBS check.

Had the caution remained on the PNC (as the type of offence the client had been issued the caution for is on a proscribed list of offences) it would have been permanently disclosed on both a standard and enhanced DBS check – this would have effectively destroyed the client’s career. It also would have made it very difficult for the client to obtain visas for countries such as the US, Australia or certain Middle Eastern countries.

The government is currently consulting on the introduction of a new super-database for the police. This will combine two existent databases, the PNC and the PND and other systems, into one unified dataset for the police to use:

Liberty, the human rights group, has withdrawn from the consultation process on the proposed database over concerns about the “grave” risks it poses to privacy.

It is possible, with the police casting a wider and more effective net when it comes to data collection and retention, that more information, and at a greater frequency, will be disclosed on enhanced DBS checks.

If you are a health care professional, a teacher, or if you work in security or another trusted profession, then you will require an enhanced DBS check when going through the employment screening process. The police retain a broad discretion as to when and what they can disclose on an enhanced DBS check, and this information does not have to related to actual convictions or cautions, but can be simple allegations that were never proven, or even allegations that you didn’t know about.

If you are worried about information the police retain on you, then please get in touch. Along with applying for the deletion of cautions, old style youth warnings, PNDs, PNC records and conditional cautions, we are also able to apply for the deletion of local police records.

We are also often instructed to challenge the disclosure of information on Enhanced DBS certificates.  If you have had information unfairly disclosed on an Enhanced certificate, then please get in touch.

In addition have had significant success in applying for people to be removed from both the children and adults barred lists, as well as resisting proceedings to be placed on either list.

Please get in touch today to discuss any police record deletion case or DBS related enquiry.

We can usually offer reasonable fixed fees – unfortunately we do not offer legal aid.

We have again had a caution expunged for a client. The caution had been issued a number of years previously, in relation to a sexual offence.

We were able to identify aspects in the evidence which enabled us to challenge the basis of the caution, even though the caution had been issued over five years previously.

The police agreed to delete the caution, arrest record and the client’s DNA and fingerprint record.

The client, an accomplished teacher, was able to continue his career knowing that his record would now be clear.

We have had many police cautions deleted for our clients, including cautions issued both recently and historically.

We are usually able to offer a fixed fee for our services, and we always aim to resolve a case without the need for costly court proceedings. If the police however do not agree to expunge your caution, and you have a solid case to argue for expungement, we will fight your case before the High Court in Judicial Review proceedings.

Along with applying for the deletion of police records, we are also often instructed to apply to the DBS to appeal DBS certificates or barring decisions.

If you have received a “minded to bar” letter, then please get in touch to discuss your case.

For more information on our DBS related work, please visit here: DBS appeals solicitors.

We have successfully applied for the deletion of our client’s Police National Computer (PNC) arrest record.

The client had been wrongfully accused of a criminal allegation, and had been arrested, detained, fingerprinted, DNA swabbed and held overnight.

We made representations to the police for the deletion of the client’s record. After initially resisting deletion, we placed further pressure on the police, which resulted in them backing down, and agreeing to the deletion of the client’s PNC records.

Had the allegation been retained on the PNC, it is possible that the incident would have been disclosed indefinitely on an enhanced DBS check. Due to the nature of the allegation, and the client’s profession (education), it was likely that the police would have chosen to disclose the allegation on an enhanced DBS certificate for years to come.

Now that the PNC record is deleted, the client now has a clear DBS certificate.

Along with applying for the deletion of arrest records, we also have significant success in applying for the deletion of police cautions, and have had many successful cases.

Also we are frequently instructed to challenge DBS barring decisions and information disclosed on enhanced DBS certificates, including challenging disclosures to the Independent Monitor, and to Court.

Please get in touch today to arrange a consultation to discuss any issues you may be having with a police record, or the DBS.

We have had a police caution deleted for our client. The caution was issued in the context of an acrimonious separation.

The client was a health care professional, and so had the caution not been removed, it would have likely resulted in the client being struck off, and their losing their professional career.

The caution had stemmed from a false allegation, but due to poor legal advice at the police station, and pressure from the police, the client agreed to accept the caution.

After we reviewed the evidence, it was clear there had been a number of procedural errors, and the client had been wrongly issued with a police caution.

We gathered together supporting evidence, and presented the client’s case to the police, which resulted in the police agreeing to the removal of the caution from the Police National Computer (PNC).

Regulatory investigations have now been dropped against our client, who has now returned to work with a clean record. Had the caution not been removed, as it was Actual Bodily Harm (ABH), which is on a list of offences that will never become filtered by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), it would have been disclosed forever and would have been retained on the PNC for 100 years.

If you have received a police caution, then it will show up on a standard or enhanced DBS check for at least 6 years. After 6 years the caution may continue to be disclosed on an enhanced DBS check, and will definitely show up after 6 years (under current rules – which are subject to an ongoing appeal) if the offence for which you were cautioned appears of the DBS’s proscribed list of offences.

We have had many police cautions removed for our clients, many of which have been expunged without the need for costly court proceedings.

We will take the time to analyse your case in detail, with a view to identifying procedural defects or anomalies in the evidence, to give you the best chance of success.

We understand the very significant impact a caution can have, and which is often sold by the police as being a mere “slap on the wrists”. We know the caution can have a devastating impact on someone’s life and career, we understand this, and will deal with your case sympathetically and compassionately.

If you have a loved one who is suffering due to the impact of a caution, please get in touch.

We charge reasonable rates, and can usually provide a clear and concise advice on your prospects of success, after an initial consultation.

Along with challenging unfairly issued police cautions, we also have extensive experience in challenging unfairly issued DBS certificates, and also DBS barring decisions.

If information has been disclosed on an enhanced DBS certificate, which you dispute, we have extensive experience in challenging disclosures, inducing appealing disclosures to the Independent Monitor.

If you have been barred, including historic barring decisions taken under the previous list 99 and ISA procedure, then please get in in touch.

If you have received a “minded to bar” letter, we have had significant experience in persuading the DBS that it would be inappropriate to bar our clients.

Please get in touch today to discuss any DBS case or any police records deletion application you would like to make, including deleting arrest records, cautions (conditional and simple) youth cautions (formerly warnings and reprimands), PNDs and cannabis warnings.

We have had a possession of drugs caution deleted from the PNC for our client. Our client had been found in possession of a class A drug, and had accepted a police caution as a result.

After we reviewed the evidence, we noticed there were some serious defects in the way in which the case had been handled by the police. We submitted our findings to the police, who agreed the caution was defective, and deleted the client’s caution, PNC record and biometric data.

If you have received a police caution for the possession of drugs, it will remain on the Police National Computer (PNC) for 100 years. The caution will be disclosed on a standard and enhanced DBS certificate for 6 years, and may continue to be disclosed on an enhanced certificate after 6 years.

If you work in a regulated profession such as health care, teaching, finance or the law, then a police caution will usually need to be disclosed to your regulator and will be show up on a DBS check.

If your caution is however expunged (deleted) then you will no longer have a police caution, and it will no longer show up on a DSB check.

Please get in touch today to discuss any type of police caution: drug possession, theft and fraud, assaults including ABH, criminal damage, sexual assault, public order and all other offences.

Police cautions are typically issued in relation to low level offences, and are issued on the basis that they are a quick and economical method of resolving a criminal allegation.

Suspects are often told that a police caution is a “slap on the wrists” or will have no real impact on their future. The truth is very different, as a caution can destroy a professional career, prevent you moving or living aboard, or volunteering at schools or charities.

A drugs caution can be particularly devastating to someone who hopes to live in the United States; the US has a very strict policy with respect to criminal records for drugs, and will be hesitant to grant a visa/residence permit to individuals with drugs cautions.

We have extensive experience of applying or the deletion of police cautions, arrest records, PNDs, and cannabis warnings.

We will always try to look for an innovative solution to a problem, and have often had cautions deleted where the client, or other lawyers, have failed.

If you, or a loved one, has received a police caution then please get in touch. We are usually able to provide a clear advice on your prospects of success after an initial consultation.

Along with challenging police cautions, we also have extensive experience of challenging DBS certificates and DBS barring decisions.

We have experience of challenging DBS certificates to the Independent Monitor or appealing barring decisions.

If you are already barred and you think it is unfair, or the minimum barring period has elapsed, then we can help.

Please get in touch today to discuss your DBS case with our legal experts.