I ordered a keychain from abroad on 2nd july. On 9th of July northumbria police turned up at work questioning me about ordering explosives online and accessing the dark web (I hadn't accessed the dark web). They also asked me about self harm/thoughts of suicide. All of this was done next to the public entrance to my workplace which is in the main atrium. As a member of IT support staff in my local authority I am known throughout the building and was in my uniform. They informed me they'd searched my home and to expect a letter from the home office about the parcel before leaving.
I rang home as my mother was in, and she told me the police had been round and searched the house. She also told me they'd left no paperwork, had no warrant and she'd told them she'd prefer them to contact me before searching the house and gave the officers my phone number. They'd searched the house anyway telling her that wouldn't be possible. I went to the police station outside my work and asked for the search record. I was told I had to go to a different station to get this. When I walked out the station I received a call from one of the officers who interviewed me and told me I had nothing to worry about. I disputed this stating that they had come into work and questioned me about explosives, searched my house and that they had stated that explosives had been ordered to my house in my name. I went to the station I was advised to go to and it was closed to the public. I managed to catch a pair of officers on their way in and asked about the paperwork. One of them took my phone number and said he'd look into it. He rang later in the day to say he was unable to find the search record, although he did mention they had a new system that he wasn't used to yet and the issue may have been him rather than it not existing.
I went back to the original police station and some officers came down and told me to follow the complaints process. I've done this, as has my mother. I also submitted a SAR to get the information around this and the search record. I also submitted a signed and dated letter requesting the documentation from the search to the station that they assured me would be delivered to the responsible officer. I have the signed/dated receipt from 14/7 to prove this from the front desk officer.
As I'd had to leave during work hours to go the station, I was completely open with my manager about what had happened. I continued to go to the police station to ask what was happening. I had a meeting with my manager and her manager on the 15th July and it was agreed I could take the rest of the week off for stress. They asked if I knew what could have caused the police to question me about this and as the keychain was the only thing I had ordered from abroad I mentioned this and gave them a screenshot of the receipt. The next day I was phoned and asked to attend a meeting on the 17th were I was suspended with pay. HR walked me out of the shared office and building.
The keychain was then delivered on the 2nd august. Within a few hours 2 officers, 1 uniformed and 1 ununiformed knocked at my door. The ununiformed officer introduced himself as CID, and said there had been a miscommunication. Border force had flagged my item as sodium nitrite as either the same seller, someone seller adjacent or in the same warehouse was sending suicide kits to the UK. The police had then misread this as sodium nitrate. He then mentioned they'd been tracking the item and asked to see it. After he'd seen the keyring he gave me his details to pass onto my employer. The next week I was called into another meeting at work and my suspension lifted. My managers manager informed me that the police had made a catalogue of errors. I took a week and a half leave due to stress.
They attempted to deal with my mother's complaint via a local resolution, she was informed that the search had been recorded as a consent search and that the officers BWV was not activated until after the conversation about consent took place.
I have since received an email stating that my complaint will take upwards of 8 more weeks to assess. I also received an email 1 day before the deadline for the SAR stating they would extend it by 2 months due to difficulties accessing the data. I still have no paperwork from the search and so challenged this as unlawful. I received an email the next day from the information team stating that they are withholding my SAR under S45 (4)(a) of the Data Protection Act 2018 (allows a controller to restrict, wholly or partly, subject
access rights to avoid obstructing an official or legal inquiry, investigation or procedure) and explicitly referenced the complaint as the reason. I also received an email from the DPO stating that they are witholding all the data I have requested under section 44(4) of the DPA, again explicitly mentioning the complaint. I have complained to the ICO about this.
I've used the online form for Irwin Mitchell but got an email back stating that they can't take my case any further due to a small team dealing with a high volume of complex matters. I'm not sure if I explained the situation well as the information box wasn't very big.
The only solid black and white information I am in possession of is my letters from my employer showing my suspension and it's lifting, and an email from the HR investigator stating that the police have told them the incident number and confirmed I am not part of a criminal investigation.
I have attempted to challenge the SAR being withheld but have had no answer. I've challenged the delay on my complaint but have been told it's due to a high volume of complaints (although they did enquire what I wanted to add, as I'd submitted it before my work suspension).
I have also not been contacted by the home office about my parcel.
What can I do to get my data so that I know exactly what has happened that lead to this situation and can confirm beyond any doubt that I am in the clear and no longer under investigation?
I also want to determine if I can take the police to court for the harm caused to me by this, but feel I can't as I have no evidence due to the withdrawn sar request.
If needed I'm happy to post some images of the emails/docs I have after removing personal information.