Hundreds on bail for more than 28 days, figures show
Hundreds of people have been left on police bail for more than a month, with five left without a charge for more than 18 months.
Figures released following a Freedom of Information request to West Mercia Police show that up to April 20, a total of 780 people were on police bail.
The statistics relate to people under investigation and awaiting a decision on charged.
Of those people, 137 were still awaiting a charge or release after six months, and 35 had been on bail for more than a year.
A further five people had been left on police bail for longer than 18 months, but figures showed none had been waiting for more than two years.
The figures come shortly after a change to the law in how long someone can be held by police before a charge is made.
On April 3, a 28-day limit on police bail came into force in England and Wales.
Police bail can still be extended for up to three months more in complex cases with the authorisation of a senior police officer, or even further by applying to a magistrate.
Under pre-charge bail, a suspect is released from custody, sometimes with conditions attached, and told to report back to a police station at a later date.
Previously, there was no legal limit on how long someone could be bailed for, leading to some being left on bail for years without charge.
Now, most people will be released under investigation, rather than on bail.
A similar FOI request in 2014 found that West Mercia Police had one suspect on bail for more than 723 days, while an individual arrested by police in Powys had been on bail for 843 days.
Now, any that are deemed necessary to be released on bail will only be subject to 28 days of bail, with the option to extend it for a maximum of three months in complex cases with the authorisation of a senior police officer, or further by applying to a magistrate.
