Soham prompts new rules over data

New rules are being drawn up to help police follow the Data Protection Act correctly and prevent another Ian Huntley gaining access to children.

The move was revealed by the Home Office today as rank-and-file officers warned fresh guidance was needed to prevent a recurrence of the mistakes that let Huntley gain a job as a school caretaker.

The plan was published by the Home Office as part of evidence submitted to the Bichard Inquiry into how Soham killer Huntley got the job despite previous accusations of rape and indecent assault.

After Huntley was convicted of the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in December, Humberside Chief Constable David Westwood said the Data Protection Act, as his force understood it, had prevented officers from keeping details of a string of sex allegations against Huntley.

Today the Home Office said top police officers had been asked to draw up a new code on data protection to prevent further mistakes.

Inquiry chairman Sir Michael Bichard will be asked to review the guidelines before they are issued to police.

The Police Federation called for the shake-up to make sure officers stopped deleting vital intelligence in case they fell foul of the Data Protection Act.