This document seeks to provide clarity and national guidance on the retention of both physical and digital evidence in order to provide policing with a framework to support a comprehensive physical and digital storage strategy.

There are a vast number of legislative sources to help determine how to manage and retain evidence, further compounded by confusion around records managed under Management of Police Information (MoPI) and physical evidence principally managed under the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act (CPIA) and Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE). This document seeks to provide clarity on the difference between these two distinct areas of business as well as provide more general guidance.