by Anonymous on September 4th, 2004

Anonymous

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In the UK, when the police have a search warrant, can they search your computer? Can they bring in experts to recover secret/deleted files on the computer?

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Answers. 7 helpful answers below.

  • by Drinking Dano on December 31st, 2004

    Drinking Dano

    The police can only take from your home what the warrant will specify. It is very rare that the Police can get a “blanket warrant” to remove anything they like from your home.
    Usually, the warrant will specify that the Police may only remove items which “may be pertinent to a conviction or proper investigation of the accused.” As such, if you are accused of Fraud, the Police have no right to take "Aunt Tilly's Ashs" or anything else of an obvious personal nature.
    However, in this day and age, a home computer may contain such evidence for almost any offence.
    Hence, they may legally seize your PC if they can later prove it was “pertinent” to the conviction or investigation of you. If you can prove that it was not, you may even have a technicality to get off your charge because the warrant was executed improperly! (However, in all fairness, I have to tell you, good luck with that!!)

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  • by Tom Chambers on December 25th, 2004

    Tom Chambers

    Yes, the police are allowed to take anything they might consider as evidence included in the warrant for analysing. This may include computers if they have reason to believe there is incriminating evidence on it. They do have expert staff specially for the analysis and they will do whatever they can to find data that the suspect might have deleted.

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  • by exup25th on September 5th, 2004

    exup25th

    The police have powers to seize PC's : yes, They can also take the hard drives to an analyst and seach for records of deleted files via various methods.

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  • by --paw43--is back for now on August 29th, 2008

    --paw43--is back for now

    No they can't. they can carry out a search but need a specific warrant to remove your pc

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  • by Karma Violet on August 28th, 2008

    Karma Violet

    If it's possibly relevant to their investigation, yes they can. They can also retrieve long deleted computer files and interestingly enough, deleted text messages from mobiles too.

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  • by twoddle on June 16th, 2009

    twoddle

    most are correct but police need a specific warrant to remove computers these are covered by piracy (downloading and distrabution). pedofiles and certain frauds and extortion cases. all are subject to evidence found on hard drives or other forms of electronic storage medium. it is a judges descision wether you get any or all of the seized items back but invariably you will loose the hard drive.

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  • by I NEED PIE! on June 4th, 2008

    I NEED PIE!

    Yes, also if they find anything you wont get the hard disk returned or it will have been security wiped meaning no windows just nothing

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