Legal issues
A no-further-action (NFA) decision is not a criminal conviction and generally means no prosecution will be pursued on the decision communicated. It is not the same as an acquittal or an automatic guarantee against later reconsideration. The CPS guidance explains circumstances in which prosecution decisions may be revisited where legally permissible. Police retention and deletion of records, fingerprints, DNA and local information are separate questions. An NFA outcome does not itself establish that the allegation was false or that all records must be removed.
Read our pre-charge representations service, police record deletion guidance and post-interview next steps.
Evidence that matters
Keep the NFA letter or email, reference number, allegation dates and the name of the decision-maker. Retain interview records and the evidence supporting your position. Make a separate list of seized devices, outstanding property receipts and any linked orders. A clear record of the outcome is useful if someone later describes the case inaccurately.
Reasonable lines of enquiry
Check whether the decision covers every allegation and every investigating body. Ask for clarification of outstanding property and the status of bail. An NFA decision in one case does not cancel an unrelated protective order or resolve a parallel regulatory complaint. Do not infer that silence from an officer is itself a formal NFA decision.
What happens next
Request written confirmation of the outcome and the allegations it covers. Ask about the return of seized property, the status of any outstanding bail restrictions and whether an employer or regulator requires notification. If police-information disclosure or deletion is relevant, assess the separate ACRO record-deletion process and any enhanced DBS representations against the applicable criteria. A subject access request may help identify national records, but it is not itself an application to delete them.
Immediate steps
Save the outcome notice securely and make a brief chronology of the investigation. Check the exact wording of any question you are asked by an employer, insurer or regulator before answering. Avoid posting case papers or allegations about witnesses online. If contacted again about the matter, obtain advice before giving a further account.
What should you send us?
Send the outcome notification, police reference, existing bail or court documents, property list and the exact wording of any employment or DBS concern.