June 19th 140,000 YOUNG OFFENDERS WIPED FROM POLICE COMPUTERS

The Home Secretary has ordered an inquiry to find out how the names of 140,000 young offenders were wiped off the national police computer system. It happened a staff member sorting through the lists amended the main database.

Although there is a hard copy of all records, the blunder means the cautions given to thousands of youngsters no longer appear on the police computer. It could have implications for sentencing, with people appearing to have clean records.

'No effect on conviction records'

"As a result of a weeding error a significant number of juvenile caution records have been deleted from the police national computer," a Home Office spokesman said.

"There is a hard copy, however, and the Home Office and police are considering whether any of the central records need to be re-inserted. There is no effect on conviction records or registered sex offender records

http://www.sky.com/news/uk/story7.htm

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), June 18, 2000