Police chief welcomes suspect ethnicity guidance

Ch Supt Emma Aldred said it would help to "squash myths" and disinformation spread within communities

One of Derbyshire's most senior police officers has welcomed new national guidance encouraging police forces to disclose the ethnicity and nationality of suspects charged in high-profile cases.

The interim guidance from the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) aims to reduce the risk to public safety where there are high levels of misinformation about an incident.

It came amid mounting pressure over the details to be made public after authorities were accused of hiding the identities of two men in Warwickshire.

Ch Supt Emma Aldred said the move would help manage any "wholly unnecessary" community tensions that may arise from certain cases.

"It's always a difficult matter in terms of what is released throughout investigations in which we try not to breach allowing a fair trial for people," she told the BBC.

"There's quite a lot of pressure at the minute in terms of communities and the Home Office so [the guidance is] very welcome.

"When there's disinformation going around, I think that would then help in terms of squashing any myths."

Ch Supt Aldred said the decision on whether or not to release the information would be reviewed on a case-by-case basis after "careful consideration", and if judged to be in the public interest.

Asked whether she agreed with the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, who said the move would provide the public with "greater transparency", Ch Supt Aldred said the guidance had "always been there" on a more informal basis.

"It just means we will formalise and show we have got guidance and are referring to a document... in terms of what should and should not be disclosed and when," she added.

"Where disinformation is out there and [it is] incorrect, that is stirring up tensions, it is right and proper that we do try and mitigate that and reduce that risk."

But the leader of the Derbyshire Greens, Gez Kinsella, disagreed, claiming it could make some communities more vulnerable the guidance makes "black and brown communities more vulnerable".

"Disclosing the ethnicity of a person accused in high profile cases is irrelevant," he said.

"This call for disclosing the race and ethnicity feeds in to the far-right narrative and is dangerous and divisive."

The leader of the Conservatives in Derby, Steve Hassall, said: "The public have every right to know this level of detail and it will certainly help improve public confidence and dispel misinformation."

The guidance comes into immediate effect and forms part of a wider review of the College of Policing's professional practice for media relations.