Police don’t advise smashing car windows to rescue dogs in hot weather
Tens of thousands of people have shared inaccurate information about the law on rescuing dogs from hot cars. Read
Fact checks
Crime
It's hard to measure crime, which can make news stories seem more worrying than they really are. We look past the headlines to explain the full picture.
Magna Carta doesn’t mean you can ‘legally overthrow’ a ‘tyrannical’ government
Online claims have been made about a section of Magna Carta that has been irrelevant for more than 800 years. Read
Fact checks
Conservative claim that ‘overall crime’ has fallen 50% since 2010 excludes fraud
The PM and the policing minister have both made the claim in recent weeks, based on crime survey figures which don’t count fraud or computer misuse. Read
Fact checks
Crime
Government claims on police officer numbers don’t tell the whole story
Newly released figures show the government has reached its target of recruiting 20,000 more police officers since 2019. This is roughly the same number of officers lost between 2010 and 2017. Read
Fact checks
Is the police vetting code of practice legally binding?
Police chiefs in England and Wales are legally required to “have regard” to the code of practice, but aren’t legally required to follow everything in it—or more detailed associated guidance. Read
Fact checks
Emergency alert phone test on 23 April will not ‘breach GDPR’
This is based on a misunderstanding of how the system works. The alert neither uses nor collects any personal data. Read
Fact checks
Outcome of Charles Bronson’s parole hearing has not yet been announced
Multiple Facebook posts have claimed Charles Bronson’s parole bid has been successful and that he is due to be released from prison. Read
Fact checks
You cannot get ‘half-ownership’ of a property you’ve rented for five years
A claim linked to Serco offering landlords six year, 11 month contracts is going viral. Read
Fact checks
How does the government’s minimum service level legislation compare to strike laws in other European countries?
Rishi Sunak and Grant Shapps have compared the new Bill to laws in France, Spain, Italy and Ireland. Read
Fact checks
Brandon Lewis misleading to compare voter ID to picking up parcel or library book
The MP and former cabinet minister said needing ID to vote was the same as needing it to pick up a parcel at the Post Office. Read
Fact checks
