How long can police keep you in custody for criminal damage?
Noah Mitchell
Published Jan 07, 2026
The police can hold you for up to 24 hours before they have to charge you with a crime or release you. They can apply to hold you for up to 36 or 96 hours if you're suspected of a serious crime, eg murder.
How long can the police keep me under investigation?
Because there is now a time limit on bail, police officers often prefer to release suspects under investigation instead. There are no deadlines in effect, so you can remain a suspect under caution indefinitely.
How long do police have to prosecute?
The police have to send you a notice of intended prosecution within 14 days of the alleged offence (there are exceptions to this rule if you have moved recently etc). The court summons has to be issued within 6 months of the date of the alleged offence.
How long can you be under investigation by police UK?
There is no general time limit for how long a police investigation can stay open in England and Wales. For summary only offences, which are heard in the Magistrates' Court, the case must be heard within twelve months of the crime.
How do I get my police seized back?
You may need to bring an action to ask the Magistrates' Court to compel the Police to return your belongings. If the Police have seized larger items, you may be able to persuade them to take photos of the items and return them to you.
20 related questions foundCan police search your text messages?
By hooking your smartphone up to an extractive device, police officers can download all of its data and contents. A report is generated, which can provide details of text messages, your location, and who you called when. It can even access third-party apps, such as WhatsApp and Facebook.
Can police take your phone without permission?
Police can't take, check your phone without permission: Bengaluru top-cop clarifies. Bengaluru: The City Police Commissioner Kamal Pant informed that “Without obtaining permission, no police official must inspect mobile phones. If such instances are seen happening, bring them to my attention”, he said.
How long after a crime can you be convicted UK?
Often 6 months, except that this area of the legislation can get confusing as to where the 6-month term begins and when it ends. It is important to ensure that you get expert legal advice. There are times where the police can try to take a prosecution to court even if it is out of the authorised time limit.
How long do police keep Statements UK?
Why is it still on my record? Since 2006, the police retain details of all recordable offences until you reach 100 years of age. Your conviction will always show on your police records but the conviction may not show on your criminal record check that is used for employment vetting purposes.
How long can police keep your phone for investigation UK?
The police will hold your property until all relevant matters have been dealt with. Once the letter of authorisation has been sent to you the general procedure is for them to wait 28 days for you to collect your property or for a response either by telephone or in writing.
How long can you be bailed for?
Understanding Police Bail
The initial bail period is 28 days but can be extended up to 3 months by a Superintendent. If the Police wish to have bail extended further this will have to be done through the Magistrates' Court.
How long can you be remanded in custody UK?
In September, the Government extended Custody Time Limits (CTLs) – the amount of time that someone can be held on remand – from six to eight months.
How long do the police have to prosecute for a speeding offence?
The 14 days starts running from the date of the offence and as long as the notice of intended prosecution is sent to the registered owner within 14 days, that will mean that a prosecution can be pursued even though the driver may not receive a notice intended prosecution within those 14 days.
What is the time limit for CPS to make a decision?
If the matter is a summary only offence, the police must lay the charge within 6 months of the incident. This adds an element of time pressure to make a charging decision within a reasonable time. For more serious offences, such as rape or sexual assault, the decision is taken by the CPS.
What happens after no further action?
No Further Action (NFA) is where there is not enough evidence to send the case to the CPS for them to prosecute and therefore the decision has been made to not take the investigation further, i.e. lack of evidence to proceed with a charging decision.
Does your criminal record clear after 7 years UK?
It may stop you from getting on with your life. In the UK, the Police National Computer (PNC) stores all recordable offences. It remains there until the person becomes 100 years old. However, there is no formal way for a person to request deletion of court convictions.
How long do criminal records last on DBS?
If over 18 at the time of the offence, a conviction will be filtered 11 years after the date of the conviction, and a caution 6 years after the date of the caution, provided that the applicant did not go to prison, has not committed any other offence and the offence was not of a violent or sexual nature.
Can criminal record be removed?
If the person was 18 years of age or older at the time of the offense (i.e. legally considered to be an adult), then the conviction will be expunged from their record 11 years after the conviction date (not the offense date).
How long does a court case last UK?
Where relatively straightforward cases take no more than a few days, other cases can take several weeks or even months. The standard jury service period in the UK is two weeks.
How long does it take for forensics to come back UK?
In the UK, 75% of people arrested are released from police custody within six hours and 95% are released within 24 hours. At the UK's Forensic Science Service (FSS), urgent samples can be prioritised on request and, once delivered to a lab, can be processed in about eight hours.
Can you check if someone has a criminal record UK?
The internet has made the UK Criminal Records Search Procedure even easier than ever before. Now it's simple to obtain criminal records on individuals located anywhere in the UK, including England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
Can police read your texts without you knowing?
Authorities can get access to unopened email messages from the last 180 days, but they must get a warrant, first. The police may obtain your opened and unopened messages that are 180 days old or older with a subpoena. But they have to let you know once they've requested this access from the provider.
How do u know if your phone is tapped by police?
For example, if your phone is beeping, clicking, or is making a pulsating static noise, it might be installed with tapping software. If you strongly suspect that your phone has been tapped, ask your phone carrier or the police for help since they have the necessary equipment to detect any tapping issues.
Do I have to answer police questions?
You can just stay silent. You can talk to a lawyer – They have to tell you that you've got the right to talk to a lawyer, in private, and without any unreasonable delay, before you decide whether or not to answer the police's questions.