Nearly 900 people are on the run after alleged offences in Bristol and surrounding areas – and some arrest warrants date back to the 1990s.
The longest-running court arrest warrant in the Avon and Somerset Constabulary area was issued in 1990, following an alleged threats to kill incident in Hanham.
It remains outstanding, along with 894 other warrants yet to be executed by the force, a Freedom of Information request by Bristol Live can reveal.
Avon and Somerset police say suspects moving abroad is among the reasons warrants can be outstanding for long periods.
Here are the five oldest active warrants in the area.
- Threats to kill offence allegedly committed on December 17, 1989 in Hanham. Warrant issued on July 9, 1990.
- Deception offence allegedly committed in July 1991 in Bristol. Warrant issued on September 15, 1992.
- Possession and supply of drugs offences allegedly committed in May 1992 in Bath. Warrant issued on October 21, 1992.
- Indecent assault on female allegedly committed in December 1994 in Bath. Warrant issued on April 6, 1995.
- Deception offences allegedly committed in June 1995 in various locations around England. Warrant issued on August 9, 1996.
Avon and Somerset police said they were unable to provide the identities of suspects on the run after those historic alleged offences, stating that personal information is exempt from FOI requests.
What the police say
A force spokesman said: "All outstanding warrants are in the process of being reviewed to ensure any new opportunities to make an arrest are identified.
“There are a number reasons why warrants may remain active for prolonged periods of time, for instance the subject of the warrant may have moved abroad.
“We will always prioritise warrants according to the threat, harm and risk the subjects pose but as part of our review we are assessing if it is still in the public interest to pursue all those that remain outstanding.”
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