Communications Offences
Freedom of Information (FOI) Act request ref: 01/FOI/26/009701/U
Version Date: 01/04/2026
The Performance & Analysis Department has provided the following information:
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Data Collection: |
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From PNLD as of 16/03/2026: |
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Section 1 Malicious Communications Act 1988 - Offence of sending letters etc. with intent to cause distress or anxiety |
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Offence Wording: |
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Send communication / article of an indecent / offensive nature (Current) |
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Send letter / communication / article conveying a threatening message (Historic) |
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Send letter / communication / article conveying false information (Historic) |
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Send letter / communication / article conveying indecent / offensive message (Current) |
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Section 127 Communications Act 2003 - Improper use of public electronic communications network |
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Offence Wording: |
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Cause to be sent by public communication network a false message to cause annoyance / inconvenience / anxiety (Historic) |
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Cause to be sent by public communication network an offensive / indecent / obscene / menacing message /matter (Current) |
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Persistently make use of public communication network to cause annoyance / inconvenience / anxiety (Current) |
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Send by public communication network an offensive / indecent / obscene / menacing message / matter (Current) |
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Send false message by public electronic communication network to cause annoyance, inconvenience or anxiety (Historic) |
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Section 179 Online Safety Act 2003 - False communications offence |
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Offence Wording: |
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Corrupt practice - undue influence on voting on account of person's vote/refraining to vote (Current) |
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Send false communication with intent to harm (Current) |
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Crime Record Management System - NICHE |
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Crime Record Management System - UNIFI |
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Qlik Sense Report: Detainee Management - Arrest Data |
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Arrest Date Time: >31/12/2020 23:59:59 <01/01/2024 00:00:00 |
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Arrest Offence: as above |
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Export to Excel |
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Qlik Sense Report: Offence Management v5.0 |
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Disposal Date/Time Created: >31/12/2020 23:59:59 <01/01/2026 00:00:00 |
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Disposal Sub Group: Charge and Bailed, Charge and Remand, Postal Charge |
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Offence Description: as above |
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Export to Excel |
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Data Caveats / Limitations: |
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Arrest Data contains all arrests - primary and additional - for the given offences for the given years. |
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The figures for 'number or people' for charge data, is given per unique person, per offence, per year of disposal. |
Freedom of Information Act 2000 Request
I am writing to request the following information relating to communications offences
• For each of the years 2021, 2022 and 2023 the number of arrests made by your force for each of the following offences
o Section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act 1988
o Section 127 of the Communications Act 2003
o Section 179, Part 10, of the Online Safety Act 2023 (false communications)
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Number of Arrests each year for the specified arrest offences |
Arrest Year |
Total |
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Arrest Offence |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
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Section 1 Malicious Communications Act 1988 - Offence of sending letters etc. with intent to cause distress or anxiety |
93 |
132 |
117 |
342 |
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Send communication / article of an indecent / offensive nature (recordable) |
23 |
25 |
56 |
104 |
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Send letter / communication / article conveying a threatening message (recordable) |
62 |
88 |
43 |
193 |
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Send letter / communication / article conveying false information (recordable) |
2 |
2 |
6 |
10 |
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Send letter / communication / article conveying indecent / offensive message (recordable) |
6 |
17 |
12 |
35 |
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Section 127 Communications Act 2003 - Improper use of public electronic communications network |
29 |
37 |
140 |
206 |
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Cause to be sent by public communication network a false message to cause annoyance / inconvenience / anxiety (recordable) |
0 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
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Cause to be sent by public communication network an offensive / indecent / obscene / menacing message / matter (recordable) |
0 |
3 |
8 |
11 |
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Persistently make use of public communication network to cause annoyance / inconvenience / anxiety (recordable) |
14 |
14 |
17 |
45 |
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Send by public communication network an offensive / indecent / obscene / menacing message / matter (recordable) |
10 |
17 |
107 |
134 |
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Send false message by public electronic communication network to cause annoyance, inconvenience or anxiety (recordable) |
5 |
2 |
5 |
12 |
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Section 179 Online Safety Act 2003 - False communications offence |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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Total |
122 |
169 |
257 |
548 |
For each of the years 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 the number of people charged by your force for each of the following offences
- o Section 1 of the Malicious Communications Act 1988
o Section 127 of the Communications Act 2003
o Section 179, Part 10, of the Online Safety Act 2023 (false communications)
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Number of individuals each year charged with the specified offences, per offence |
Disposal Year |
Total |
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Offence Description |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
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Section 1 Malicious Communications Act 1988 - Offence of sending letters etc. with intent to cause distress or anxiety |
64 |
77 |
63 |
41 |
30 |
275 |
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Send communication / article of an indecent / offensive nature |
13 |
12 |
13 |
10 |
17 |
65 |
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Send letter / communication / article conveying a threatening message |
42 |
56 |
40 |
19 |
2 |
159 |
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Send letter / communication / article conveying false information |
3 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
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Send letter / communication / article conveying indecent / offensive message |
6 |
7 |
7 |
12 |
11 |
43 |
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Section 127 Communications Act 2003 - Improper use of public electronic communications network |
35 |
23 |
39 |
47 |
40 |
184 |
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Cause to be sent by public communication network a false message to cause annoyance / inconvenience / anxiety |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
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Cause to be sent by public communication network an offensive / indecent / obscene / menacing message / matter |
2 |
2 |
5 |
9 |
7 |
25 |
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Persistently make use of public communication network to cause annoyance / inconvenience / anxiety |
15 |
12 |
17 |
16 |
12 |
72 |
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Send by public communication network an offensive / indecent / obscene / menacing message / matter |
14 |
8 |
15 |
20 |
21 |
78 |
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Send false message by public electronic communication network to cause annoyance, inconvenience or anxiety |
4 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
8 |
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Section 179 Online Safety Act 2003 - False communications offence |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
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Send false communication with intent to cause harm |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
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Total |
99 |
100 |
102 |
88 |
71 |
460 |