Police "Name And Shame' Limit Imposed

Police forces which "name and shame" criminals must remove the details from websites after a month, new rules state.

The personal details of criminals' such as their name, age, where they are from and their offence, should be published routinely, the Ministry of Justice has said.

A specific reason will be needed to publish photographs.

The rules state there should be a "presumption" in favour of making information from the Crown and Magistrates' Courts public.

There are restrictions on what is published and for how long it will be available for. Forces and town halls must take into account the impact of making the information public on an offenders' family.

Justice Secretary Jack Straw said: "Individual crimes often get a lot of media coverage and news can spread across communities quickly that a crime has been committed.

"However, the news that someone has been caught, prosecuted, convicted and sentenced does not travel as far.

"This guidance explains, once and for all, that authorities can publish the details of crimes and the punishments criminals have received, and that the government actively encourages them to do so.

"It is vital people know that criminals will not escape the consequences of their crimes."

Concerns have been raised over the long-term consequences for criminals that information published on websites serving the area where the crime happened.

Sites may consider just saying that "someone" has been convicted of a crime without revealing the specific details of who to reassure the public.

Guidance allows police forces to distribute leaflets or make information available at public meetings as an alternative to publishing it on the internet.

(GK/KMcA)