Saturday 5 February 2011

Replies to my latest FOI Requests to Thames Valley Police

In my last rather long post I referred to a couple of timings that I had obtained from a Freedom of Information Request to Thames Valley Police.  Actually I had received the answers to five requests in one single email, although not all the requests were lodged at the same time.  For interest and ease of reference I'll reproduce the five questions and answers here:


Thank you for your recent requests for information which for clarity I have repeated below with our response to each point.

Reference No: RFI2010000841
The body of Dr David Kelly was discovered on 18th July 2003.  Close to the body a knife was found.  My FOI request is to be told whether there was any string, tape or any other material attached to the handle of this knife when this knife was examined subsequent to the discovery of Dr Kelly's body.

I can inform you that there were no items or material attached to this knife.

Reference No: RFI2010000851
On 16th September 2003 Detective Constable Coe gave his evidence at the Hutton Inquiry.  At the time he stated that he was with just one other officer when he met the searchers at Harrowdown Hill on the morning of 18th July 2003.  We now know that in fact he was accompanied by two people.  If his recollection at the Hutton Inquiry had been correct then the name of the other officer would have been in the public domain alongside that of Detective Constable Shields.

To complete the picture this Freedom of Information Request is for the rank and name of this third person please.

We confirm that we do hold the information you have requested.  We consider that the information is exempt by virtue of the following exemption under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Section 40(2) – Personal Data

We believe that disclosure of this information would breach the first data protection principle.

Reference No: RFI2010000852
At the Hutton Inquiry evidence was heard about a watch being found close to the body of Dr David Kelly.  My FOI request is as follows:

1. Was this watch positively identified as belonging to Dr Kelly?
2. Was this watch still functioning when examined?  If it had stopped what time had it stopped at?
3. Was the watch checked for fingerprints?  If so were fingerprints found?  If "yes" were the fingerprints those of Dr Kelly?
4. Was the watch checked for DNA?


1) This watch was not positively identified as belonging to Dr David Kelly
2) The watch was functioning when examined and displayed the correct time
3) No fingerprint marks were developed from this watch
4) The watch was checked for DNA. (A full profile of Dr David Kelly was obtained).

Reference No: RFI2010000860
This FOI request concerns the times of various events relating to the discovery of the body of Dr David Kelly at Harrowdown Hill on 18 July 2003.

1. At what time was a 999 call from volunteer searcher Paul Chapman received at Abingdon Police Station?
2. At what time did the Police return Mr Chapman's call?
3. At what time was an ambulance called to attend the discovery of a body at Harrowdown Hill?
4. When was an outer cordon established at Harrowdown Hill?
5. When were the ambulance crew of Vanessa Hunt and Dave Bartlett logged out of the outer cordon?
6. When was Detective Chief Inspector Alan Young logged in at the outer cordon?

1) The 999 call was received at 09:20am
2) Thames Valley Police holds no relevant information to this part of your request
3) Thames Valley Police holds no relevant information to this part of your request
4) An outer cordon was established at 09:28am
5) The ambulance crew was logged out at 10:26am
6) DCI Young was logged in at 12:06pm

Reference No: RFI2010000866
The Hutton Inquiry records that PC Sawyer took a number of photographs on the 18th July 2003 at the scene where Dr Kelly's body was found.
My FOI request is as follows:
1. Were any of these photographs submitted in digital, print or slide form to the Inquiry?
2. Were all of these photographs submitted in digital, print or slide form to the Inquiry?
3. Was a time and date stamp incorporated in the photographs as part of the photograph taking process?

1) These photographs were submitted to the Inquiry in digital form
2) Please see the above response to Question 1
3) A time and date stamp was not incorporated in these photographs as part of the photograph taking process.


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