The police want to interview me. What should I do?
If the police want to interview you about a criminal investigation then this could be either as a suspect or as a witness. In either case, you are entitled to have a solicitor present. So the simple answer to this question is: call us and we will help.
If you are a suspect in a criminal investigation then the police will either arrest you or invite you to come to the police station at an agreed time. If you are asked to attend by appointment, this is often referred to as a ‘Caution +3’ interview. It is just as important as an interview that takes place after you have been arrested, and carries the same weight at Court. Either way, they will want to conduct a formal interview under caution. We would advise you always to seek the help of one of our team. Free legal advice is available to everyone if you are a suspect, see Can I get legal aid?
If you know you are going to be arrested, or have been asked to attend the police station for an interview, you can contact a solicitor before you go, and take them with you.
We can liaise with the police on your behalf to try to agree a suitably convenient time for you to attend the police station. If you would like us to assist you, then contact us or call us on 020 7428 6311 to speak to one of our expert solicitors. In an emergency you can call our 24 hour helpline on 07939 958767.
Alternatively, you can exercise your right to speak to a solicitor when you are in the police station. You can ask to speak to a specific solicitor, and the police will make efforts to contact that solicitor for you. Or you can choose to speak to the duty solicitor, see What is a duty solicitor?.
Please note that the information contained in this article was correct at the time of writing. There may have been updates to the law since the article was written, which may affect the information and advice given therein.
