“What can I do about it? Can the Police be forced to give my property back?”
Our expert team at Monan Gozzett are here to help and provide expert guidance and assistance in the recovery of your property, seized by the police during an investigation.
Police forces across the country seize and retain huge quantities of property each year.
However, the real problems arise when property is retained for longer than necessary by the police. The increase in the number of electronic items and computers seized makes this a significant area of financial risk, a fact that many forces have not yet fully grasped.
If lawfully seized and property is subsequently retained for an unnecessary length of time the damages can be high, particularly where the property was needed for someone’s livelihood or business. This of course, is dependent on the circumstances and facts at hand for the particular matter in question.
A good starting point is to remember the basic principle that all property belongs to someone and should not be kept longer than reasonably necessary. Attention must be paid to force policies and the importance of obtaining authorisation from the court before doing anything controversial.
However, it is worth noting that you may not be able to recover all your property seized, for example, items that are illegal or contain illegal images will not be returned to you, as they will be forfeited and destroyed by the police and courts.
If you have been case has been concluded and your property has not been returned, call our expert team on 0207 936 6329 or email info@monangozzett.com.
This reflects the law at the date of publication and is written as a general guide. It does not contain definitive legal advice, which should be sought as appropriate in relation to a particular matter.
If you would like to speak to our expert legal team about this, or any related subject then please contact our team by phone on 0207 936 6329, Email or by completing our Quick Contact Form below.