SUSPECTS are waiting months and even years to find out whether they will be charged with crimes as the amount of people police release under investigation increases, figures have revealed.

Under the process brought in as part of bail reforms in 2017, police can choose to allow people to leave custody under investigation without any restrictions while they investigate further.

But where as those on bail are subject to conditions like living at a certain place or reporting back to police stations - those restrictions are not in place when someone is released under investigation.

There is also no time limit for people released under investigation where as those on bail are typically on bail for 28 days, although it can be longer - an extended - for serious or complex cases.

According to a Freedom of Information request Essex Police released 14,441 people on bail in 2016/17.

The next year 3,954 people were bailed, however 6,669 suspects were released under investigation.

Caroline Woodley, director of Colchester-based criminal defence specialists OBW Perera said peoples lives were being impacted by the issue.

“We have clients who are released under investigation for months or even years,” she said.

“It seems no different to the previous bail system - only they are not technically on bail.

“Although they may not be curtailed by restriction of bail conditions, it can still affect people’s work or home life.

“Social services may be unwilling to allow someone to live with their family while the investigation is ongoing or an employer may insist they are suspended.

“If we are advising a client, we try to obtain updates once per month, but unrepresented suspect won’t perhaps be chasing the police at regular intervals.

“Many people think that as they have not heard anything it must have been a decision to take no further action. It is a shock when they are later told they are being prosecuted.”

Ms Woodley said she had a client who was 14 when questioned over an alleged assault in May last year.

He was initially bailed, which was then extended but in August his status was changed to released under investigation.

He was sent a postal requisition this September but will not go to court until November - 17 months after he was first quizzed.

And being summonsed to court by post can also cause issues.

Ms Woodley said: “The length of time that has passed means people have often moved address - not through any desire to evade the prosecution but perhaps through a social need.

“Even if they update the police about their new address, often the officer in the case has been redeployed or reassigned to another role.

“If they don’t attend, a warrant will be issued for their arrest or the charge may be proved in their absence.”

POLICE say their primary objective is the safety of victims when it comes to pre-charge decisions.

A spokesman for Essex Police said it has a dedicated team who manage and monitor ongoing cases and follow guidelines set out nationally.

“The safety of victims and the wider public is at the heart of all the decisions we make in relation to pre-charge bail and release under investigation,” the spokesman said.

“We follow the guidelines set out by the National Police Chiefs Council when interpreting whether bail or release under investigation is the correct decision for any person who has been arrested.

“When making this decision we carry out a comprehensive risk assessment to decide whether conditions are justified, appropriate, proportionate and necessary.

“Our primary objective is to bring an investigation to a conclusion whilst the detainee is detained, where this is not possible, public safety and victim safeguarding is our concern.

“We regularly review our decision making processes and have a dedicated Bail Management Team who monitor ongoing cases.”

A Home Office spokesman said forces should strongly consider pre-charge bail in high harm cases and those where people are released under investigation should be regularly reviewed.