ANPR Vehicles Confiscated

I am writing to you concerning the automatic number plate recognition data for the Cheshire Constabulary.

Through the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would like to request the following information:

How many cars have been confiscated by the Police in your area on the basis of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) data since the Police ANPR system became operational?

In accordance with section 1(1) (b) of the Act our response is provided below;

From our assessment, we estimate that compliance with your request would exceed the appropriate costs limit under section 12 of the Freedom of information Act 2000. This is currently £450. The statistical information you have requested is not information that the Constabulary currently collects. The raw data from which to collect such information is held on individual vehicle seizure records and/or officers notebooks. There were 17,036 vehicles seized since 2005 for various reasons. To retrieve the information and extract the information to be disclosed from other information would cost in excess of £200,000 based on 8000 hours of work for one person.

Such costs are prohibitive. No alternate data is collected, we must therefore refuse your request.