Police data entry still too slow

Police forces are still taking up to 50 days to add details of convictions and arrests the Police National Computer (PNC).

A report commissioned by the Home Office in the wake of the arrest of Soham murderer Ian Huntley, and leaked to the BBC, has confirmed the continuing problems with data input.

According to the report leaked to the BBC, it is now taking on average 50 days to input data.

The Home Office confirmed the existence of the leaked report, but declined to comment on its findings beyond a statement.

"Ministers commissioned this report to provide a clear overview of practice across all police forces over data entry," it said. "We did this in light of concerns which we knew would be raised by this tragic case."

In December 2002, vnunet.com reported that Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary had found that although 90 per cent of arrest and summons records were supposed to be entered into the PNC within 24 hours, it was taking much longer.

Forces had been taking 55 days to input data, but that this had dropped to 11 days once three 'extreme' police forces had been excluded.