Information Commissioner's Office

Summary: In response to a request for information made on 22 October 2005, Sussex Police notified the complainant that they considered the request vexatious. The complainant is known to have made over 750 requests for information to various public bodies during the previous year. In line with Freedom of Information Act 2000 Awareness Guidance No 22: Vexatious and Repeated Requests, the Commissioner considered whether the public authority had demonstrated that the requests would impose significant burden, have the effect of harassing the public authority, or could otherwise be characterised as obsessive or manifestly unreasonable. In addition the Commissioner considered the number of the requests and the manner in which section 14 exemption had been applied by the authority. The Commissioner concluded that there was a demonstrable pattern, and so judged that Sussex Police had applied the exemption correctly.
Section of Act/EIR & Finding: FOI 14 - Complaint Not upheld