United Kingdom, Northumbria
Northumbria Police
Retrospective facial recognition
OperationalOfficial publicationPAI-1DDBF4E3
- Body
- Northumbria Police
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Area
- Northumbria
- Technology
- Retrospective facial recognition
- Supplier
- Not stated in the source
- Status
- Operational
In routine use by the named body, on the evidence of a public source. - Stage
- In use now
- Since
- Not known
- Legal basis
- Not stated in the source
- Oversight
- Not stated in the source
- Evidence
- Official publication
Police force, government department or public body publication - Source
- Home Office, Police use of facial recognition: factsheet, 4 December 2025
- Last checked
- Record code
PAI-1DDBF4E3
Notes
The Home Office police use of facial recognition factsheet (published 4 December 2025) cites Northumbria Police as an example of retrospective facial recognition use, stating: "Northumbria Police used the technology to help identify those who took part in the disorder and made 19 arrests." The same passage says the National Police Chiefs' Council reported that 127 suspects involved in serious disorder across the UK in August 2024, after the Southport killings, were identified using retrospective facial recognition. The factsheet does not give the system used, a start date or a legal basis for the force. Northumbria is not listed among the forces that have used live facial recognition. ITV News (21 November 2024) reported that 19 people were arrested in raids that week over the Sunderland disorder and that "a number of" them had been identified with the help of facial recognition technology; it did not say how many, or which system was used.
Retrospective facial recognition elsewhere in United Kingdom
See them in the tracker| Deployment | Country | Supplier | Since | Status | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gwent PoliceRetrospective Facial Recognition | United KingdomForce area | Not specified in source | 2021 | Operational | |
| Leicestershire PoliceRetrospective Facial Recognition | United KingdomForce area | NEC, according to NEC | 2014 | Operational | |
| West Yorkshire PoliceFace Reveal (match suggestions for CCTV images before a facial recognition search) | United KingdomWest Yorkshire | — | — | In development | |
| Metropolitan PoliceRetrospective facial recognition | United KingdomLondon | Northgate Public Services (NEC group), per MOPAC decision PCD 1008 | — | Operational | |
| South Wales PoliceRetrospective facial recognition | United KingdomSouth Wales | — | 2017 | Operational | |
| National Crime AgencyRetrospective facial recognition solution (request for information) | United Kingdom | — | — | Proposed |