Greater Manchester Police have been reprimanded over a failure to keep two hours of CCTV footage at Pendleton Police Station where a woman was held who later made allegations of being strip searched
The Information Commissioner said the force demonstrated “serious shortcomings” in how they handle CCTV footage but said it has since improved retention policies and upgraded surveillance system
The commissioner ruled that GMP has failed to provide the complainant with their personal data, both without undue delay and by the end of the applicable period of one month, and failed to ensure that the appropriate technical or organisational measures were in place to protect the accidental loss of the CCTV data it was processing.
Sally Anne Poole, Head of Investigations at the Information Commissioner’s Office, said:
“CCTV footage, particularly of a person at their most vulnerable, can contain highly sensitive personal data and must be properly protected. It is vital that authorities like police forces have the strictest measures in place to protect personal data to maintain public trust.
“It is clear in this case that Greater Manchester Police failed its obligation to keep the complainant’s personal data safe and demonstrated serious shortcomings in how it handles CCTV footage. Data protection is not an afterthought; it is a core responsibility. In this case, we see the potential consequences when this responsibility is not properly adhered to.
“Police forces and public bodies across the country can learn from failures like this and ensure they have the right systems and oversight in place to prevent these mistakes from happening again. Public trust depends on it.”
Since the case GMP have implemented clearer retention policies for CCTV footage and have made Proactive investment in its surveillance and security system infrastructure in 2023, resulting in a significant upgrade in its system capabilities.
The force has strengthened internal oversight and governance measures to prevent similar incidents in the future and introduced a strictly regulated process to ensure that only authorised force personnel have access to the footage held within the CCTV server.
The incident featured in The Baird Inquiry, an independent inquiry carried out by Dame Vera Baird KC, into the treatment of people who have been arrested and taken into police custody in Greater Manchester.
