Police to trial use of body cameras to interview suspects at crime scenes

A number of police forces are to run a pilot scheme to see if the cameras can be used to effectively interview suspects at crime scenes instead of at police stations

More than half of local authorities are giving officers cameras (Getty)

Police are to trial interviewing suspects at crime scenes using body cameras rather than taking people to police stations to be questioned, a senior police officer has said.

Police forces are facing reduced budgets when funding is announced in Chancellor George Osborne’s upcoming spending review, and Andy Marsh, the national policing lead for body-worn video (BMV), said he hoped the move would lead to “cheaper justice”.

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Marsh, chief constable at Hampshire police said: “I am working closely with the Home Office and they have agreed in principle that we can run a pilot in a number of forces to see if we can effectively use the cameras to interview suspects of certain offences, other than at police stations.

“I think this will lead to swifter, fairer, and more importantly cheaper justice.”

Usually suspects are taken to a police station to be interviewed after an arrest, where they have the right to ask for legal advice before questioning begins.

The police would reportedly only be able to use the cameras for interview purposes on low-level offences such as shoplifting and anti-social behaviour.

But civil liberties campaigners have voiced concerns over the security of the video once it is stored.

Dan Nesbitt from Big Brother Watch told the broadcaster the group wants to see “very clear guidelines about where this information will be stored, who will have access to it and how long it’s going to be kept for”.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson confirmed in June that the Metropolitan Police would equip all its front-line officers with cameras, ordering around 20,000 to arrive by March next year.

As part of the Met's trial, 6,000 video clips were uploaded to servers every month, with those not marked as "evidential" being deleted after 30 days.

Additional reporting by PA