Report of the Interception of Communications Commissioner - 2016
Annex D: Serious Errors
Error Investigation 1
Error by:
Public Authority
Human or
Technical:
Human
Cause:
Telephone number incorrectly recorded within a witness
statement.
Data Acquired:
Subscriber information relating to a mobile telephone number.
Description:
A police force was conducting an investigation into blackmail.
They made an application for subscriber information based
upon the telephone number incorrectly recorded in a key
witness statement. Based on the subscriber information the
police visited a postal address, but no one was at home.
Local enquiries suggested the occupiers were abroad. The
subscriber’s name and personal details were placed onto
the Police National Computer (PNC) as wanted in connected
with blackmail. Two months later the subscriber was arrested
on his return to the UK. Following an interview in which the
subscriber protested his innocence, further applications for
communications data were made. These proved that the
arrested person was not involved in the alleged offence.
Consequence:
An innocent person was arrested and interviewed.
Error Investigation 2
Error by:
Public Authority
Human or
Technical:
Human
Cause:
Telephone number incorrectly transposed from a witness
statement.
Data Acquired:
Subscriber information relating to a mobile telephone number.
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