The following introduces …
Why DVLA & Police Data?
The Figures
- Composition
The figures can be found here.
Mentions
Gloustershire
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)
Excluded from the DVLA & Police data:
The DVLA data having been secured, this was compared against the responses from the constabularies named. However, there were exceptions, as below.
The following organisation’s data was not used to compare overall figures; where the data from an organisation was not forthcoming, or not sought, it has been removed from the DVLA comparison to ensure the total submissions to the DVLA and total held by the police are like-for-like insofar as the number of sources are concerned.
Police Scotland
It was intended to provide statistics for the entire UK; however, Scotland proved a little problematic, whereas almost every other constabulary provided year or year data from their crime recording software, Scotland declined to do so, referring us to the online records. This was not considered helpful and may not have satisfied the request. It appears the issue will proceed to the Scottish Information Commissioner.
Scottish data is also a little unusual to consdier as, whilst there is a single constabulary, ‘Police Scotland’, it appears they continue to submit LoS records to the DVLA (via PNC) by reference to long-gone divisions. POlice Scotland was formed in 2013, through the merging of eight regional police forces in Scotland (Wikipedia). The DVLA receive data from:
- Central Scotland police
- Dumfries & Golloway (sic) police
- Fife constabulary
- Grampian police
- Lothian & borders police
- Northern police
- Police Scotland
- Strathclyde police
- Tayside police
When the above submissions are combined, the annual DVLA totals are:
2023 – 2,874
2024 – 2,570
2025 – 2,375
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI)
The data appeared odd. The DVLA conveyed what appeared to be very low figures:
2023 – 342
2024 – 358
2025 – 303
Hwoever, the FoIA response revealed:
Army
No FoIA request was made to the Army source – an email address for the relevant section was not identified and their submissions to the DVLA were insignificant:
2023 – 1
2024 – 0
2025 – 0
NaVCIS
The DVLA information and the difficulty associated with obtaining data from NaVCIS can be found here.
NCA
No FoIA request was made to the NCA. They have previously responded that the Freedom of Information Act does not apply to them. Furthermore, in company with the Army, their LoS submissions to the PNC that reach the DVLA are minimal:
2023 – 1
2024 – 1
2025 – 2
‘Not Known’
As the DVLA explains, they can only provide what they are supplied. Oddly, on occasions, LoS markers recorded against VRMs they receive are not always accompanied by a constabulary. The number of ‘not known’ constabulary submissions has been:
2023 – 1,777
2024 – 1,415
2025 – 1,399
The email addresses
Active/relevant as at 01/2025
foirequests@avonandsomerset.police.uk;
foi@bedfordshire.pnn.police.uk;
foi@cambs.pnn.police.uk;
requests@cheshire.police.uk;
foi@cityoflondon.police.uk;
information.rights.requests@cleveland.police.uk;
freedomofinformation@cumbria.police.uk;
FOI@derbyshire.police.uk;
foi@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk;
foi@dorset.pnn.police.uk;
foirequests@durham.police.uk;
info.rights.freedom@essex.police.uk ;
FOI@gloucestershire.police.uk;
freedomofinformation@gmp.police.uk;
public.access@hampshire.pnn.police.uk;
foi@herts.pnn.police.uk;
informationgovernanceunit@humberside.police.uk;
freedomofinformation@kent.pnn.police.uk;
foi@lancashire.police.uk foi@leics.police.uk;
foi@lincs.police.uk foi@merseyside.police.uk;
foi@met.police.uk freedom@norfolk.police.uk;
CivilDisclosure@northyorkshire.police.uk;
freedomofinformation@northants.police.uk;
freedom.info@northumbria.pnn.police.uk;
freedomofinformation@notts.police.uk;
FOI@southyorks.pnn.police.uk;
foi@staffordshire.police.uk;
information@suffolk.police.uk;
foi@surrey.pnn.police.uk;
foi@sussex.police.uk;
information@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk;
freedom.information@warwickshire.police.uk;
information@westmercia.pnn.police.uk;
foi@westmidlands.police.uk;
FOI@westyorkshire.police.uk;
disclosure@wiltshire.police.uk;
British Transport Police:
foi@btp.police.uk;
Wales:
foi@dyfed-powys.pnn.police.uk;
foi@gwent.pnn.police.uk;
FreedomofInformationTeam@nthwales.pnn.police.uk;
information@south-wales.police.uk:
Scotland:
foi@scotland.police.uk;
Army
National Crime Agency (NCA)
National Vehicle Criminal Intelligence Service (NaVCIS)