You may have been contacted by an Avon and Somerset Police officer inviting you to attend a voluntary interview at Bridewell, Broadbury Road, Patchway or another police station in or around Bristol.
The officer may describe the interview casually or suggest that they simply want to hear your side of the story. However, you are being interviewed as a suspect in a criminal investigation and anything you say may be used as evidence. The interview can have a significant bearing on whether the investigation ends with no further action, an out-of-court disposal or criminal charges.
Our Bristol criminal defence solicitors regularly represent clients attending voluntary interviews throughout Bristol. We can contact the investigating officer, seek disclosure before the interview, meet with you to prepare your account and advise whether you should answer questions, provide a prepared statement or exercise your right to silence. We provide this service on a private fixed-fee basis.
Preparing You for a Voluntary Police Interview
Before you attend the police station, we will contact the investigating officer and ask for information about the allegation. This may include the circumstances of the complaint, what the complainant or other witnesses have said and whether the police hold supporting evidence such as messages, CCTV, phone data, financial records or forensic material.
The police are not required to reveal their entire case before the interview, but the information provided can still be important. We will consider it with you during a confidential consultation, take your account and identify any evidence or background information which may support your position.
We will then advise you how to approach the interview. The correct strategy depends on the allegation, the quality of the disclosure, the evidence available to the police and the account you wish to give.
There are three main interview strategies:
1. Answering Questions in a Voluntary Police Interview
A full-comment interview allows you to answer the officer’s questions and explain your account in detail. This may be the best approach where there is a clear denial, an innocent explanation or important context which the police need to investigate.
Answering questions also carries risks. A suspect who is nervous, upset or unprepared may give unclear answers, overlook important details or agree with an inaccurate suggestion. In the worst cases, a person may provide information which helps the police prove something they could not otherwise establish. We will help you understand the issues beforehand and intervene during the interview if a question is unfair, misleading or outside the proper scope of the investigation.
2. Exercising Your Right to Silence
You are entitled to answer “no comment” to some or all of the questions asked. This may be advisable where the police have provided limited disclosure, the questions appear speculative or answering them could expose you to unnecessary risk.
Silence is not an admission of guilt. However, if the case reaches trial, the court may in certain circumstances draw an adverse inference if you later rely on a fact which you could reasonably have been expected to mention during the interview. A no-comment interview should therefore be a considered decision made after receiving legal advice.
3. Providing a Prepared Statement
A prepared statement allows you to place your account on record in clear and carefully considered terms. The statement may set out a denial, provide an explanation or identify relevant evidence and lines of enquiry for the police to pursue.
After the statement has been provided, we may advise you to answer questions or make no further comment. This approach can be particularly useful where it is important to put forward your position while avoiding the risks of answering detailed or repetitive questions under pressure.
Representation at Police Stations Across Bristol
Avon and Somerset Police may arrange a voluntary interview at a police station used by the investigating team rather than the station nearest to your home. Our solicitors represent clients throughout Bristol and the surrounding area, including at the following police stations:
The Bridewell Police Station
1–2 Bridewell Street, Bristol BS1 2AA
Situated in Bristol city centre, the Bridewell is a principal police station for investigations and interviews in central Bristol. There is no visitor parking at the station, although several public car parks are nearby.
Broadbury Road Police Station
Broadbury Road, Knowle West, Bristol BS4 1JT
Broadbury Road Police Station provides an interview location for investigations covering south Bristol and the surrounding area.
Southmead Police Station
Westgate House, Southmead Hospital, Southmead Way, Bristol BS10 5LT
Southmead Police Station provides coverage for north Bristol and surrounding areas.
Patchway Police Centre
Gloucester Road, Bristol BS34 6PY
Patchway Police Centre is used for investigations covering north Bristol and South Gloucestershire. Visitor parking is available at the site.
Fishponds Police Station
853 Fishponds Road, Fishponds, Bristol BS16 2LG
Fishponds Police Station provides coverage for east and north-east Bristol and the surrounding area.
Keynsham Police Centre
Ashmead Road, Keynsham, Bristol BS31 1SA
Keynsham Police Centre is used for investigations covering Keynsham and the surrounding parts of Bath and North East Somerset.
Bath Police Station
Monmouth Street, Bath BA1 2AJ
We also represent clients asked to attend voluntary interviews in Bath and across Bath and North East Somerset.
Weston-super-Mare Town Hall Police Station
Town Hall, Walliscote Grove Road, Weston-super-Mare BS23 1UJ
Our solicitors can attend voluntary interviews in Weston-super-Mare and elsewhere in North Somerset.
Wellington Police Station
Victoria Street, Wellington TA21 8HR
We also provide representation for voluntary interviews in Wellington and elsewhere within the wider Avon and Somerset Police area.
This is not an exhaustive list. We can attend a voluntary interview at any police station or other agreed interview venue in Bristol or elsewhere within the Avon and Somerset Police area.
Following the Interview
After the interview, we will carefully consider whether any further action is required. The officer may indicate whether further enquiries are needed or whether the case will now be passed to an evidence review officer or the Crown Prosecution Service for a decision on the next steps.
In some cases, there may be important proactive steps to take. This can include submitting representations arguing for the outcome we want to achieve: no further action where the allegation is denied, or an out-of-court disposal, such as a community resolution or caution, where that is the best achievable outcome in the circumstances.
Frequently Asked Questions
For an arrest to be lawful, it must be considered necessary. This will often be the case where evidence needs to be obtained from a suspect’s property or seized from a suspect. If the alleged offence took place some time ago, or there is no longer a need to seize evidence, a voluntary interview may be offered instead.
In short, no. The fact that a voluntary interview has been offered does not mean that the allegation is minor or that the police do not have sufficient evidence. It usually means that the police do not consider an arrest necessary.
The police may attend your address to contact you about a voluntary interview. If they are unable to reach you, they may instead contact you by post.
After the interview, the police officer will decide whether any further investigation is needed or whether a charging decision should be sought from an Evidential Review Officer or the Crown Prosecution Service.
We will consider whether any positive action can be taken to advance your position and reduce the risk of a charge. This may include compiling evidence in support of your defence and submitting it to the police with written representations. A proactive approach can sometimes play a crucial role in avoiding a prosecution.
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