Hampshire Constabulary to trial body camera interviews

About 20,000 devices will be rolled out to the majority of Met Police officers by March 2016

Police could use body cameras to interview suspects at crime scenes rather than at police stations in a new trial, Hampshire Constabulary's top officer has said.

Chief constable Andy Marsh, the national policing lead for body-worn video (BMV), said the cameras could be used to interview people suspected of low-level offences such as shoplifting.

He said he is discussing running a pilot scheme with the Home Office. Civil liberties campaigners have concerns over storage of the video.

The force's body-worn video project leader, Inspector Steve Goodier, said changes to the Police and Criminal Evidence (PACE) Act would be needed for the interviews to be used.

He said: "We want to explore lawful ways to test and evaluate how body-worn video could capture these interviews with suspects outside of police custody."

'Clear guidelines'

Dan Nesbitt from Big Brother Watch called for more information about the latest move: "We also want to see very clear guidelines about where the information will be stored, who will have access to it and how long it's going to be kept for."

Police forces are facing reduced budgets when funding is announced in Chancellor George Osborne's upcoming spending review.

The use of the personal devices by police forces across the UK has increased in recent years, often being used to record incidents and collect evidence which could be used in court.

In October the Independent Police Complaints Commission warned body cameras worn by the Metropolitan Police were "not fit for purpose" and should be replaced.

Mike Penning, Minister of State for Policing, Crime, Criminal Justice and Victims, said body worn cameras had the potential to "revolutionise the way the police protect and support the public".