LONDON VAUXHALL DEALERS

Updated: 18:36, Saturday May 19, 2012

London's Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has sparked much criticism for training police to 'extract mobile phone data' from arrested suspects.

The data collection can take a few minutes and collects call history, texting, emails and contacts.

Data collection regulators say it is a breach of EU human rights.

The ruling by the MPS contradicts the guidelines of European human right laws set out in 2008.

A spokesperson for Privacy International says 'it is illegal to indefinitely retain the DNA profiles of individuals after they are acquitted or released without charge, and the communications, photos and location data contained in most people's smartphones is at least as valuable and as personal as DNA.'

An ICO spokesperson says 'whilst we are not aware of this particular development, any personal information taken from an individual's phone or other possessions and then held by the police during an investigation would have to comply with the Data Protection Act'.

Cellphones and smartphones are increasingly being used to commit crime as was seen in the 2011 London riots.

However some argue this limit to the rights of British citizens, and others who visit the UK, may lead to human rights violations.