Subject Access Request for Custody Records CCTV and Body Camera Footage

If you spent time in custody, you can ask the organisation that holds your personal data for a copy of the records about you. In the UK, this is usually done through a subject access request, often called a SAR, under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This guide explains how to request the duration of time in custody, custody logs, CCTV footage, and body-worn camera footage from the relevant local authority or police force. It also includes a ready-to-use letter template.

This post is for general information only and is not legal advice.

Custody records often include times, movements, checks, and key decisions.

1. Identify who holds the records

Before sending the request, work out which organisation is likely to hold the data.

For most custody records, the data controller will be the police force that detained you. If the matter involved council enforcement officers, local authority premises, transport staff, or another public body, that organisation may also hold relevant records.

Send the request to one or more of the following, depending on what happened:

• The police force responsible for the custody suite

• The local authority’s Data Protection Officer

• The relevant public body’s Information Governance team

• A solicitor, if one is already acting and can submit it for you

• OIC Officer In Charge

  
  

Look for the organisation’s “subject access request”, “data protection”, or “privacy” page. Most public bodies provide an email address or online form.

2. Ask for the exact records you need

Be clear and specific. A broad request such as “send me everything” may still be valid, but it can slow things down. A focused request helps the organisation search the right systems.

Ask for:

• The date and time you entered custody

• The date and time you were released, transferred, or otherwise left custody

• The custody record or custody log

• Detention review records

• Risk assessment records

• Cell check logs and welfare check logs

• Property records

• Interview attendance records

• Officer notes that contain your personal data

• CCTV footage showing you

• Body-worn video showing you

• Audio linked to footage, if held

• Records of any use of force, restraint, removal, search, medical attendance, or transfer

  
  

You do not need to explain why you want the records. You only need to give enough information for the organisation to identify you and find the data.

3. Include details that help them search

A good Subject Access Request for Custody Records CCTV and Body Camera Footage should include the practical details of the incident.

Include:

• Your full name

• Any previous name used at the time

• Date of birth

• Current address

• Contact email or phone number

• Date or approximate date of arrest or detention

• Custody suite or police station, if known

• Reference number, crime number, custody number, or incident number, if known

• Names or collar numbers of officers, if known

• Approximate times and locations where CCTV or body-worn video may exist

  
  

If you do not know some details, say so. Give your best estimate.

Approximate dates and locations can help the authority find the right records.

4. Send proof of identity

Public bodies usually ask for proof of identity before releasing personal data. This protects your information from being sent to the wrong person.

They may ask for:

• A copy of a passport or driving licence

• A recent utility bill, bank statement, or official letter

• Proof of a change of name, if relevant

  
  

Only send what is necessary. If sending documents by email, check whether the organisation provides a secure upload link.

You can also state that you are willing to provide ID on request, rather than attaching it immediately.

5. Use this subject access request template

Copy and adapt the wording below.

Subject line: Subject access request for custody records, CCTV, and body-worn video Dear Data Protection Officer / Information Governance Team, I am making a subject access request under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 and amended Data Protection Act 2026 Article 15. Please provide copies of all personal data held about me in relation to my time in custody, including the full duration of my detention and any records connected to my arrest, detention, checks, movements, treatment, interviews, transfer, or release. My details are: Full name: Date of birth: Current address: Previous address, if relevant: Contact email: Contact phone number: The custody event relates to: Date or approximate date: Police station or custody suite: Approximate time of arrest or detention: Approximate time of release or transfer: Custody number, crime number, incident number, or reference number, if known: Officers involved, if known: Please include, where held: - The custody record and custody log - The exact time I entered custody - The exact time I left custody, whether by release, transfer, charge, bail, or another outcome - Cell allocation records - Cell visit records and welfare check logs - Risk assessments and detention review records - Records of any searches, use of force, restraint, removal, medical attendance, or property handling - Emergency Interview / Interview attendance records and related notes containing my personal data - Officer notes, reports, and electronic records containing my personal data - CCTV footage showing me in the custody suite, holding area, corridors, charge desk, cell area, vehicle bay, or any other relevant location - Body-worn camera footage showing me or recording my voice - Any audio linked to CCTV or body-worn video Please preserve any CCTV and body-worn video while this request is being handled. If any footage has already been deleted, overwritten, withheld, or is no longer available, please confirm this in writing and explain why. If any information is withheld or redacted, please identify the exemption relied on and explain the reason. I would prefer to receive the records electronically by secure email, secure download link, or encrypted file transfer. Please confirm receipt of this request. If you need proof of identity or further details to locate the records, please let me know as soon as possible. Yours faithfully, Name Date

CCTV may be retained for only a limited period, so send the request promptly.

6. Ask them to preserve footage quickly

CCTV and body-worn video are often kept for limited periods unless marked for retention. Send the request as soon as possible.

Use this wording if time is tight:

Please treat this as an urgent request to preserve all CCTV and body-worn video showing me during the custody period described above, including footage from the custody desk, corridors, cells, holding areas, vehicle bay, and any officers’ body-worn cameras.

This does not guarantee disclosure, but it clearly tells the organisation that the footage is relevant and should not be deleted while the request is active.

7. Know what may be redacted or withheld

The authority should provide your personal data, but some material may be edited before release.

They may blur or remove:

• Other people’s faces

• Officers’ personal information where disclosure is not required

• Information about another person

• Sensitive operational details

• Material linked to an active investigation

  
  

If they refuse to provide some records, they should explain the legal basis for doing so. Ask for that explanation in writing.

8. Keep a record of the request

Save:

• The email or form confirmation

• Any reference number

• The date sent

• Any ID documents provided

• Replies from the authority

• Files received

• Notes of phone calls

  
  

Most organisations must respond within one month of receiving a valid request. The time can be extended for complex requests, but they should tell you if that happens.

Keep copies of the request and every response you receive.

9. Follow up if there is no response

If you do not receive a reply, send a short follow-up.

You can write:

I made a subject access request on [date] for custody records, CCTV, and body-worn video. Please confirm the status of the request and the expected response date.

If the organisation fails to respond properly, you can use its complaints process. You can also contact the Information Commissioner’s Office if the issue remains unresolved.

What success looks like

A good response should confirm the period you were in custody and provide the records they hold about you, subject to lawful redactions. If footage exists, the authority should either provide it in a secure format or explain clearly why it cannot be released.

Send the request promptly, keep the wording specific, and ask for preservation of CCTV and body-worn video at the same time. That gives the authority the best chance of finding the records before anything is deleted or overwritten.