Voluntary Police Interview Solicitors in London

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The Metropolitan Police conduct approximately 15,000 voluntary interviews in London each year. If the police have contacted you to request a voluntary police interview, it can be an extremely stressful and worrying time, particularly when the outcome could have an enormous bearing on your career and reputation.

Although you are attending voluntarily rather than under arrest, this is still a formal interview under caution in which you will be questioned as a suspect. Your answers, and sometimes what you fail to mention, may influence whether the allegation is dropped, dealt with outside court or results in criminal charges.

Our London Criminal Defence Solicitors specialise in representing clients during police interviews and can provide expert guidance throughout the process. We take a proactive approach to police investigations, seeking to obtain as much information as possible from the investigating officer before the interview takes place. We will meet with you beforehand, consider the allegation and available evidence, 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 and can represent you at any police station or other interview venue across London.

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Preparing You for a Voluntary Police Interview

Before you attend the police station, we will speak to 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. This can be particularly difficult where the allegation covers a long period, several incidents or extensive digital communications. 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 prolonged, repetitive or speculative questioning.

Representation at Police Stations Across London

The Metropolitan Police may arrange a voluntary interview at a police station used by the investigating team rather than the station nearest to your home. Interviews can also take place at other police buildings or agreed venues.

Our solicitors represent clients throughout Greater London, including at the following police stations:

Bishopsgate Police Station

182 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 4NP

The City of London has its own police force, separate from the Metropolitan Police. We represent clients interviewed by the City of London Police, including in investigations involving fraud, financial offences, workplace allegations and incidents within the Square Mile. Interviews may be conducted at Bishopsgate Police Station or another City of London Police building.

Charing Cross Police Station

Agar Street, London WC2N 4JP

Charing Cross Police Station serves Westminster and the West End and is a common interview location for investigations based in central London.

Holborn Police Station

10 Lamb’s Conduit Street, London WC1N 3NR

Holborn Police Station is situated in central London and is used for investigations covering Camden, Bloomsbury, Holborn and the surrounding area.

Wembley Police Station

603 Harrow Road, Wembley HA0 2HH

Wembley Police Station is a principal interview location for investigations covering Brent and other parts of west and north-west London.

Colindale Police Station

Grahame Park Way, London NW9 5TW

Colindale Police Station is used for investigations covering Barnet and surrounding areas of north and north-west London.

Brixton Police Station

367 Brixton Road, London SW9 7DD

Brixton Police Station is a principal police station in south London and is commonly used for investigations within Lambeth and neighbouring boroughs.

Bethnal Green Police Station

12 Victoria Park Square, London E2 9NZ

Bethnal Green Police Station serves Tower Hamlets and is an important interview location for east London.

This is not an exhaustive list. We can attend voluntary interviews at any police station or other agreed interview venue across London.

Uxbridge and Hillingdon

Our solicitors represent clients from Uxbridge and across the London Borough of Hillingdon. Depending on which team is investigating the allegation, an interview may be arranged at Hillingdon Police Station in Uxbridge, Hayes Police Station or another police building in west London.

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 to decide whether to authorise a charge or offer an out-of-court disposal.

In some cases, there may be important proactive steps to take under pre-charge representation. 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.

Case Studies in London

The following examples show how early preparation, a considered interview strategy and further work after the interview can affect the course of an investigation.

Sexual Assault Allegation

We represented a client who was interviewed in relation to an allegation of sexual assault. Our solicitor spoke to the investigating officer and obtained detailed pre-interview disclosure.

The case involved numerous WhatsApp messages which needed to be reviewed with the client. After taking detailed instructions, our solicitor advised the client to provide a limited account through a prepared statement. There were difficult aspects of the client’s account which could have been damaging if explored through detailed questioning. The prepared statement allowed the client to deny the allegation while avoiding those risks.

Following the interview, the investigation was closed with no further action.

Assault and Controlling or Coercive Behaviour Allegations

Our client was accused of assault and controlling or coercive behaviour said to have occurred during a former relationship.

During the initial consultation, we took detailed instructions without the time pressure of being at the police station and agreed a plan for the interview. The client then gave a full-comment interview. Our solicitor provided support throughout and ensured that the important details of the client’s account were put forward.

Following the interview, we compiled a bundle of defence evidence identifying contradictions in the complainant’s account. The police subsequently took no further action in relation to any of the allegations.

Grievous Bodily Harm Allegation

Our client was accused of punching another player during a Sunday league football match and breaking his jaw. He was interviewed on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm with intent under section 18 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.

Our solicitor helped the client prepare a detailed statement denying that he had punched the other player and explaining that the incident had happened differently from the account provided to the police. The client maintained that opposition players had joined together to make false statements against him.

Following the interview, we obtained statements from other players, managers and spectators who had been present at the match. We also submitted character evidence on the client’s behalf. This material helped demonstrate that the allegation was false, and the police closed the investigation with no further action.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Having as much information as possible about the allegation, places you in the best possible position. Usually, the police only tell a suspect the basic offence, which is being investigated, leaving many unanswered questions. It is beneficial to know whether the police have taken formal statements, the number of witnesses and whether they have CCTV or forensic evidence. Specific details of the allegation may also jog your memory and reduce the chances of being blindsided or ambushed with evidence in the interview.

There is no one size fits all approach to Police station advice – the right approach will depend on the specific circumstances of your case and what is in your best interests. During a private consultation, we will discuss the evidence obtained from the police and take your account of what may or may not have happened. We will then be able to determine the best approach to take during the police interview.

There are three main interview strategies:

1. Providing a Full Comment in Voluntary Police Interview

In some cases, we may advise you to simply answer all of the questions put to you. It may be the most persuasive and engaging way to deny an allegation and demonstrate your innocence. This approach can bring with it various risks, such as giving inconsistent or unconvincing answers. At worst, individuals incriminate themselves by giving information to the police that otherwise would not be able to be proved. This must be assessed by your solicitor to consider whether it is the best option in your circumstances.

2. No Comment in a Voluntary Police Interview

It may be in your interests to make no comment at all in the interview. There are various situations where this may be the best approach. For example, where there is no plausible defence to put forward, or where there are inherent risks attached to giving a particular account. In other instances, the evidence to prove an allegation may be weak, which is an important factor to consider.

3. Providing a Prepared Statement in a Voluntary Police Interview

Sometimes the best approach may be to submit a written statement, which carefully outlines your account, without going into areas which do not help you. This can be extremely effective in avoiding the pressure of police questions, whilst ensuring your position is put forward. However, it is essential that an experienced lawyer helps you with drafting this statement to ensure you do not put in writing any information that does not assist your case and may cause you issues later in the investigation.

Given what is at stake, we strongly recommend being represented by an experienced solicitor in a voluntary interview. The police will be considering whether to prosecute the matter in court or issue a caution, both of which will appear on DBS checks and be disclosable on visa applications. A solicitor can prepare you for the interview and make sure that the important parts of any defence are clearly put forward. We can also ensure that you are treated fairly and not placed under any undue pressure.

It is sensible to be wary of an officer who invites you into the police station ‘just for a chat’. An interview under caution only takes place when you are suspected of committing a criminal offence and anything you say in the interview can be used as evidence against you. By playing down the seriousness of the situation, the officer discourages the suspect from seeking independent legal advice.

Whilst the term ‘voluntary interview’ suggests your attendance is optional, in reality, if you refuse to attend the interview, the officer may resort to arresting you in order to ensure that an interview takes place. The police have power under s.24 of PACE to arrest someone where there are reasonable grounds to suspect the commission of an offence and the arrest is necessary for a prompt and effective investigation.

In order for an arrest to be lawful it must be necessary. This will often be the case where evidence needs to be obtained from within a suspect’s property or where evidence needs to be seized from a suspect. If the alleged offence took place some time ago or there is no longer the need to seize evidence, a voluntary interview will likely be offered. Being offered a voluntary interview does not mean that the matter is less serious.

After the interview, the police officer will decide whether any further investigation is needed or whether a charging decision can be sought from the Evidential Review Officer or the Crown Prosecution Service. After the interview we can review whether there is any positive action we can take to advance your position and reduce the risk of a charge. We will consider compiling evidence to support your defence, which can be submitted to the police with written representations. A proactive approach can sometimes play a crucial role in averting a prosecution.

Our private crime team offers an unrivalled level of experience and skill in this area, with each member of our team having represented countless clients at police stations across London over many years.
We can normally provide a fixed fee quote to cover a pre-interview consultation as well as representation at the voluntary interview. Rest assured that we will do absolutely everything we can to secure a positive outcome for you.

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