Public Inquiry

Bichard Inquiry

Status: Completed Chair: Sir Michael Bichard Established: Jan 2004 Report: Jun 2004 Commissioned by: Home Office

The Bichard Inquiry examined the circumstances surrounding the Soham murders of Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells in 2002, focusing on the effectiveness of intelligence-based record keeping by Humberside Police and Cambridgeshire Constabulary, and vetting practices for those working with children. …

Response breakdown

31 recommendations total

100%

31 (100%) — Accepted

Blanket response: Government responded with a single statement accepting all 31 recommendations. Individual per-recommendation responses were not published separately.

Evidence & impact

AI-generated · 26 Mar 2026

The Bichard Inquiry was established following the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in Soham in 2002. The inquiry examined child protection procedures, police intelligence systems, and vetting practices. Sir Michael Bichard made 31 recommendations focusing on police information management, vetting procedures, and safeguarding practices.

The government accepted all 31 recommendations on the day of publication in June 2004. The Home Secretary stated the government would "act on them immediately." By February 2007, progress updates indicated that 21 of the 31 recommendations had been addressed.

Key legislative changes followed. The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 established the Independent Safeguarding Authority, later merged with the Criminal Records Bureau to form the Disclosure and Barring Service through the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. However, the universal registration scheme envisioned in recommendation 19 was explicitly scaled back as disproportionate.

The Police National Database launched in 2011, achieving the cross-force intelligence sharing Bichard recommended. The Management of Police Information Code of Practice was published in 2005 with accompanying guidance. HMICFRS inspections now monitor compliance with information management standards.

Safeguarding practices in schools saw substantial changes. Safer recruitment training became embedded in statutory guidance, with requirements for trained panel members on interview panels. Ofsted incorporated recruitment practice reviews into inspection frameworks.

The evidence shows continuing evolution of systems established following Bichard. The PND requires replacement due to obsolete technology, with a £639 million transformation programme approved in 2024. The DBS completed its 2020-2025 strategy introducing digital identity verification.

While most recommendations generated documented changes to legislation, guidance or systems, limited evidence exists regarding the review of police IT procurement practices recommended to ensure national solutions for national problems.

Reports & milestones

Reports

22 Jun 2004 31 tracked recs The Bichard Inquiry Report · Tracked recommendations · PDF

Timeline

16 Dec 2003 Inquiry Announced

05 Jan 2004 Inquiry Establish…

22 Jun 2004 Final Report Publ…

Recommendations

31 shown (filtered)

Code	Recommendation	Addressed to	Response
R1	National IT system for police intelligence A national IT system for England and Wales to support police intelligence should be introduced as a matter of urgency. The Home …	Home Office	Accepted	View →
R2	PLX system introduction The PLX system, which flags that intelligence is held about someone by particular police forces, should be introduced in England and Wales …	Home Office	Accepted	View →
R3	Police IT procurement review The procurement of IT systems by the police should be reviewed to ensure that, wherever possible, national solutions are delivered to national …	Home Office	Accepted	View →
R4	PNC investment Investment should be made available by Government to secure the PNC's medium and long-term future, given its importance to intelligence-led policing and …	Home Office	Accepted	View →
R5	PNC Code of Practice implementation The new Code of Practice, made under the Police Reform Act 2002, dealing with the quality and timeliness of PNC data input, …	Home Office	Accepted	View →
R6	PNC data quality inspection The quality and timeliness of PNC data input should be routinely inspected as part of the Policing Performance Assessment Framework (PPAF) and …	HMICFRS HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and F…	Accepted	View →
R7	Court results PNC transfer The transfer of responsibility for inputting court results onto the PNC should be reaffirmed by the Court Service and the Home Office …	Home Office	Accepted	View →
R8	Information management Code of Practice A Code of Practice should be produced covering record creation, review, retention, deletion and information sharing. This should be made under the …	Home Office	Accepted	View →
R9	Key principles of information management The Code of Practice must clearly set out the key principles of good information management (capture, review, retention, deletion and sharing), having …	Home Office	Accepted	View →
R10	Information management standards The Code of Practice must set out the standards to be met in terms of systems (including IT), accountability, training, resources and …	Home Office	Accepted	View →
R11	Sexual offences intelligence retention The Code of Practice should have particular regard to the factors to be considered when reviewing the retention or deletion of intelligence …	Home Office	Accepted	View →
R12	Police notification of child offences The Government should reaffirm the guidance in Working Together to Safeguard Children so that the police are notified as soon as possible …	DfES	Accepted	View →
R13	Criteria for police notification National guidance should be produced to inform the decision as to whether or not to notify the police. This guidance could usefully …	DfES	Accepted	View →
R14	Recording non-referral decisions The Integrated Children's System should record those cases where a decision is taken not to refer to the police.	DfES	Accepted	View →
R15	Inspection of non-referral decisions The Commission for Social Care Inspection should, as part of any social services inspection, review whether decisions not to inform the police …	DfES	Accepted	View →
R16	Interview training for headteachers Head teachers and school governors should receive training on how to ensure that interviews to appoint staff reflect the importance of safeguarding …	DfES	Accepted	View →
R17	Trained panel member requirement From a date to be agreed, no interview panel to appoint staff working in schools should be convened without at least one …	DfES	Accepted	View →
R18	Inspection of school recruitment The relevant inspection bodies should, as part of their inspection, review the existence and effectiveness of a school's selection and recruitment arrangements.	DfES	Accepted	View →
R19	Registration scheme for working with children New arrangements should be introduced requiring those who wish to work with children, or vulnerable adults, to be registered. This register – …	DfES	Accepted	View →
R20	Standards for police vetting checks HMIC should develop, with ACPO and the CRB, the standards to be observed by police forces in carrying out vetting checks. These …	HMICFRS HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and F…	Accepted	View →
R21	Enhanced Disclosure for school staff All posts, including those in schools, that involve working with children, and vulnerable adults, should be subject to the Enhanced Disclosure regime.	Home Office	Accepted	View →
R22	Identity checking responsibilities The Registered Bodies' precise responsibilities for checking identities need to be clarified urgently.	Home Office	Accepted	View →
R23	Database access for identity verification Registered Bodies, or the CRB, should be able to check passports and driving licences presented as proof of identity against the Passport …	Home Office	Accepted	View →
R24	Photograph requirement for identity documents There should be an expectation that documents produced to confirm identity should, wherever possible, include a photograph.	Home Office	Accepted	View →
R25	Fingerprints for identity verification Fingerprints should be used as a means of verifying identity.	Home Office	Accepted	View →
R26	Address verification guidance Guidance should be issued to Registered Bodies on how to verify that applicants have given a full and accurate account of their …	Home Office	Accepted	View →
R27	Information verification confirmation Registered Bodies should be required to confirm that they have checked the information on the 'Police Check Form' in accordance with CRB …	Home Office	Accepted	View →
R28	Broader consent on Police Check Form The consents that applicants currently give on the 'Police Check Form' should be sufficiently broad to enable the requisite checks to be …	Home Office	Accepted	View →
R29	Incomplete applications returned to Registered Body Incomplete or withdrawn applications should in future be returned to the Registered Body, and not to the applicant.	Home Office	Accepted	View →
R30	Overseas applicant checking Proposals should be brought forward as soon as possible to improve the checking of people from overseas who want to work with …	Home Office	Accepted	View →
R31	Additional database access for CRB As a priority, legislation should be brought forward to enable the CRB to access the following additional databases for the purpose of …	Home Office	Accepted	View →