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HDR / Evidence and legal work / Dashcam & body-worn video

Investigations & evidence · dash cameras and bodycams

Dashcam and bodycam recovery, Hull. Take the card out first; argue about it afterwards.

Typically, a dispute resolves itself the minute the proper portion of the clip is displayed. For this to occur, however, the clip must still be present on the SD card, available to be accessed/played and ultimately end up on the correct desk within the allotted timeframe. We extract damaged and wiped footage from SD cards and return it in a format that both Humberside Police and insurers can use. Memory soldered into a camera is not taken on; if you're not sure which kind you have, ring us first.

Only pay if we recover your data, on most jobs An exhibit from day one It is being written over now

Ring us, in confidence
0800 6890668

Where the footage has to end up.

Who receives itThere is one national portal that gathers driving-offence footage from dash cams, helmet mounted cameras, and house mounted cameras and sends this footage to the relevant police force based on the location where the footage was recorded. If it was filmed in the area served by Humberside Police i.e. Hull or the East Riding, your footage will automatically be sent to Humberside Police.
Fourteen days, and no more timeOnce the video is past its 'use-by' date, then it loses all of its value. For a range of driving offences, the registered keeper has to receive the notice of intended prosecution (NIP) within 14 days. Humberside Police set their submissions cut-off point prior to the NIP deadline, therefore please make sure you read the submission terms before uploading any footage.
What you have to doEnsure you have the details of the other vehicle's registration number available. The description of what occurred should be included in a signed witness statement and may require you to attend court and give oral evidence regarding the incident. The footage does not lie, but you are the one standing behind it.
Bodycams worn at workIf filming identifiable individuals using a body worn camera then this creates personal data. Under UK GDPR, you need to demonstrate a lawful basis for processing that data. It also requires clear signage at all points where possible. A valid retention period for how long you intend to store the images/video must be demonstrated and secure storage must be maintained. The way that evidence is handled is subject to the same guidelines as CCTV: originals retained, copies hashed & hand-offs logged.

Putting a name to the symptom.

Not one of these? Ring us →
What you seeWhat the fault isWhat to try
Footage removed from a memory cardData stored on flash remains intact until it is overwritten with newer dataRemove the card from the device
You drove home leaving the camera recordingWith every complete cycle of the loop some of what's remaining is lostSwitch the camera off
Playback results in a black screenA failed write process part-way through, or a card that has exceeded its shelf-lifeRemove that memory card from active use
Event files with protection which won't allow openingA maker's own wrapper for a specific cameraThey're unwrapped and converted
Bodycam smashed or waterloggedMemory chip usually survives the caseIf it uses SD cards, obtain a quote first, then send the card; memory soldered into the camera is not taken on (please ring us first if you're not sure which kind you have)
Solicitor/loss adjuster wants it formally documentedCopies/originals, an MP4 that works, hashes, bench notesAlways included on every job.
Sending it to us: ring first or fill out the form to request a quote. Send the recorder disk (or camera card) via post to the Leeds intake laboratory (insured and trackable). Alternatively, drop the recorder disk (or camera card) off there, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm. No appointment needed. We pay for its return journey. Call prior to sending if you would like one of our staff to check the packaging with you. All information about how to send is on the sending page.

The stages, one by one.

The casebook in full →
01

A case number first, then a free diagnosis Free

Every piece of gear that shows up receives a case number on the very same day it arrives. An engineer examines it and determines what is really wrong with it and there is no charge for this. We give you straight language about which files we will be able to copy from the disk and which ones we won't be able to. Then we provide you with a single price quote, in writing, based upon these findings. We don't begin working on anything until you agree to the quoted price.

The diagnosis is freeOne price, put in writingNothing to pay yet
02

A full image, taken first

Nothing is opened/exported/modified from your media. The entire card is copied sector by sector. Every subsequent process, including unlocking locked event files, runs off the image. Your card leaves our premises exactly how it arrived.

Imaged in fullProtected files opened
03

Carve first, then mend

Deleted footage is carved out of the image. All damaged footage needs both its header & index rebuilt before standard players will even attempt to access it. Flash punishes you in one way only: using the card repeatedly results in less available data being found.

Deleted clips carved outBroken files repaired
04

What we send on to whom

Video evidence related to driving offences can come to Humberside Police via two methods: through the national dash cam portal, or through Humberside Police's own upload page. Please submit such evidence promptly (preferably within days rather than weeks), as where a notice of intended prosecution is required, there are but 14 days available. Insurance companies receive the same bundle we assemble on every CCTV job done here, namely: original files; an MP4 version of the clip playable by anyone; hash values; and documentation regarding how the files were produced.

Exhibit bundle made up14-day limit watched
05

You sign it off, then it comes back

You will not be charged while you think about this. First, you receive a list of everything that was recovered from the drive. Once you have seen the list and given us the go-ahead, the bill comes next. Files are returned to you on media purchased specifically for this job and we cover the return postage as well. Your job is kept open by us until you can view them on your personal computer.

You approve the listing firstCopied onto new mediaReturn postage at our cost

What we see on the bench

  • Smaller memory cards will overwrite themselves relatively rapidly: if you record daily commutes to work with your in-car camera, you could fill one end to end within two weeks. Therefore, please make certain to copy the clip onto a laptop the same evening.
  • The lock button simply stops the looping: formatting the card, or a failing memory card, will take protected files just as easily as they would unprotected files.
  • An upload is not the original file: according to official police guidelines, when sending a video clip via the UK-wide dash-cam portal, it is likely that not all of the ancillary metadata associated with the original files will accompany it. Therefore, it is recommended that you retain local copies of files generated by your in-car camera for a minimum period of six months.
  • Don't clean it up: an unedited version of the card with all original metadata is better than an edited version, no matter how bad it may look on screen.

The one deadline that never moves: for a range of road traffic offences, the registered keeper has to be served with a notice of intended prosecution within 14 days. Most road traffic offences are then subject to a six-month time limit to prosecute. Each police force sets its own cut-off date for submitting evidence even sooner than that, so always check what Humberside Police asks for prior to uploading. If recovered on day twelve, it would still be worthwhile submitting it; if it were recovered on day twenty, it is likely that it would be too late.

One case from the casebook.

HU · HUL-2026-0563LOGGED ✓

A Hedon Road transport firm, and a clip a driver deleted

Deleting a video is not the same thing as rewriting/overwriting it. The image taken off the cab mounted camera's card settled which had occurred. The video that the insurance company requested was deleted overnight; therefore, we did not touch anything until there was a copy of the memory card created. It was recreated from that copy, hashed, and the video was restored within a week. Both the claim and the HR file were closed based upon it.

CCTV video came back wholeConfirmed export

Before you box it up.

Do these first

  • Take the card out and turn off the camera. Leave them both alone.
  • Don't touch those protected files.
  • Record the location, time and vehicle registration numbers.
  • Submit offence footage immediately; the clock starts running on the fourteen-day period.

What not to do

  • Continue to drive while using that memory card in your car.
  • Delete old footage to free up space.
  • Submit a clip you've already trimmed down.
  • Wait two weeks to send it

What we get asked on the phone.

Is dashcam footage treated as evidence?

Generally, yes; however, it has to be relevant and proven to be legitimate. Legitimate can be broken down into three categories: the file exists in the state that it was left by the camera; the metadata remains unchanged; and there is a written account of who possessed it and when. Ultimately, weight is determined by the courts and not by us.

How should a driving offence be reported?

You have two options for getting your video submitted. First, you can use the National Dash Cam Safety Portal and they will forward your video to the police force responsible for the road where your video was taken. Second, you can directly submit your video to Humberside Police. Regardless of the route you take, you will need to provide the registration number of the other vehicle(s) involved in the incident along with a signed witness statement. Submit it early because some offences require that a notice of intended prosecution reaches the registered keeper within 14 days.

Does deleting a clip wipe it?

Seldom. A deletion will mark the area as available for reuse, and leave the picture information exactly where it sat. On a standard flash memory card the clip will stay in place until loop record loops around again, or until you have completed several trips with new recordings on top of it. Remove the card, switch off the camera and generally the deleted material will remain intact.

Does staff bodycam use come under UK GDPR?

Yes. If identifiable individuals are recorded by a body worn camera, all the footage of those identifiable individuals constitutes "personal data" and as such falls within UK GDPR. There needs to be a lawful basis, signs wherever possible, a reasonable retention period, and the safe storage of evidence. Evidence is treated as with traditional CCTV: original files retained; copies hashed; hand-overs documented.

What people read after this.

Clips for an insurer or the police → SD, microSD and CF cards → USB sticks and pens → Forensics and evidence →

The recorder is overwriting it now.

The clip you wish to obtain is currently being recorded over; the deadline has not changed. Log a job. The initial review will cost you nothing; your comments remain confidential.

0800 6890668

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