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UK Bailiffs · Information governance

Body-worn video requests

A clear route to request relevant footage, with safeguards for the people recorded and the integrity of the case record.

Download request form (PDF) See who can request

Our approach

Access is considered case by case

Body-worn video may show or capture the voices of a debtor, an occupier, agents, neighbours or others. Recordings made during our assignments are confidential operational and evidential material. We assess requests for access to them.

We identify the attendance and the information actually needed, then decide the lawful and proportionate response. A client relationship or oversight role does not, on its own, give unrestricted access to our archive. A binding court order or other legal requirement is considered on its terms.

Relevant footage A defined case, visit and incident.
Verified purpose A clear reason and appropriate authority.
Controlled access The minimum needed, provided securely.

Request routes

Who may request footage?

Different requesters have different legal routes. We check each request against the correct route before deciding what can be supplied.

01 / Individual access

A person recorded, including a debtor

A person may request their own personal information under the UK GDPR right of access (Article 15). For UK Bailiffs this is normally a subject access request (SAR), rather than a Freedom of Information request. No form or explanation of motive is required. We may verify identity, search for relevant footage and assess any third-party information. We normally respond without undue delay and within one month, subject to permitted extensions. An authorised representative may act for the person.

How to make a subject access request →

02 / Instructing client

A client with a defined need

A client may request relevant footage for a complaint, legal claim, insurance enquiry or specific internal review. We assess purpose and proportionality; client status does not confer ownership or general archive access. Approved viewing or disclosure is limited to named people and the agreed purpose.

Read our published client BWV policy →

03 / Law enforcement

Police and competent authorities

We normally ask for written details identifying the officer, force, investigation, incident and footage sought. Some forces use their own request form; our PDF is another way to supply details. We verify the request and assess our lawful basis, necessity, scope and security. A court order or other binding demand is assessed on its own terms; urgent safeguarding matters can be handled promptly without insisting on a form.

ICO guidance on police requests ↗

04 / Oversight

Regulators and oversight bodies

An oversight body may request relevant material for a defined complaint, investigation or assurance exercise. We verify its identity, remit, purpose and any statutory power or obligation it relies on. We assess our own lawful basis, any additional condition for sensitive information, the minimum necessary information and secure access. Membership or accreditation requirements do not automatically create a statutory disclosure duty; each request is assessed on its facts.

ICO guidance on lawful data sharing ↗

Disclosure control

How we reach a decision

The request form helps organisational requesters tell us what they need. It does not, by itself, authorise the release of footage.

  1. 01
    Locate and verify

    Confirm the case, visit, requester, proposed recipients and stated purpose.

  2. 02
    Assess and document

    Record the applicable lawful basis for an external disclosure, any further condition needed for sensitive or criminal-offence data, and relevant third-party rights.

  3. 03
    Limit and secure

    Use redaction, a limited extract, named-person viewing or secure transfer as appropriate. Record the decision and access granted.

Operational standard

Our agents are required to use body-worn video

Our published policy requires enforcement agents to carry and use BWV in accordance with operational instructions, where recording is necessary and proportionate. The ICO advises a data protection impact assessment for the use of BWV, including the additional privacy impact of audio and recording in private dwellings. This is a requirement on agents, not a guarantee that a usable recording exists for every attendance. Cameras can fail, lose power or suffer damage, and environmental conditions can affect audio or image quality. Where a recording is unavailable, we consider the agent’s report, contemporaneous notes, photographs and other relevant material. The absence of footage does not itself establish what happened. After a CRAR attendance, the agent completes an online report before payment.

Next step

Request information about a specific attendance

Identify the case reference, visit date and relevant incident if known. Organisational requesters should explain the purpose and proposed recipients; they can use our standard PDF. If you are requesting your own personal data, simply contact us. You do not need to give a reason or complete the PDF. Tell us promptly if a recording should be preserved for a complaint or claim.

Please do not email sensitive supporting material until we agree a suitable way to transfer it.

Download request form (PDF) ↗ Email UK Bailiffs ↗