Thousands want to put record straight

THOUSANDS of people have had wrong information logged by the Criminal Records Bureau, the Home Office has revealed.

And more than 12,000 people have successfully challenged the information held about them by the CRB.

The figure suggests a far higher level of error in the official records than previously thought. In July the Home Office said 680 people challenged their records in 2007/08.

But the new figures put the total number of people successfully challenging their details four times higher — at 2,785.

More than 3.3 million CRB checks were carried out last year on applicants for jobs involving work with children and vulnerable adults, including teaching, nursing, childminding and security posts.

But Oldham resident Machala Bennett is still trying to get her CRB record straight after a woman from Ghana began using a passport in her full name — Catherine Machala Bennett.

The Ghanaian has been convicted of stealing the real Machala’s identity and given a 15-month jail sentence, with deportation at the end of it.

But because she won’t give the authorities any other name, date of birth or birthplace, the police and the Criminal Records Bureau say they cannot alter their files.

Today Machala, of Netherhey Street, said: “I’m not surprised at the news, in fact I’m surprised the figure was so low.”

Machala, who hopes to work in the security industry, is still waiting for her Security Industry Association permit, but needs a clean CRB check to get it.