POLICE could be falling foul of technology – with worries that standards might have slipped on stop-and-search forms since they started filling them in online.

Inspectors are concerned the introduction of a digital form “may have contributed to poor quality in record keeping” among officers in Cumbria.

Most stop-and-search reports, filled in after checks on the public, used to be scrutinised by a sergeant when they were filled in on paper.

But since this system went online, part of increased use of technology by police in recent years, only a small number are checked by a superior officer.

The flaws were discovered by the ethics and integrity panel which oversees the work of police.

They looked at a sample of stop-and-search forms.

This was to see whether the information contained provided enough evidence to substantiate the grounds for the stop-check.

A top-level report reveals that there were very few forms that the panel felt fully explained the reason.  The report adds: “The remainder had given very little information and the panel felt members of the public could question the legitimacy and lawfulness of the stop.

“They had asked whether the poor quality could be attributed to certain officers but were advised that it was in fact across the board.

“The panel were informed that since the introduction of a new online stop-and-search report form, only a small minority of such entries were checked by a sergeant.

“Prior to that, with the paper-based system, most – if not all – stop and search records had been reviewed by a sergeant.

“The panel were concerned that the introduction of an online form may have contributed to the poor quality in record keeping.”

Police say the current online system is due to be replaced or upgraded.

“The panel hoped that an automatic checking facility would be included as part of the new online form,” added the report.

“It was felt that such an additional quality-check would help to raise standards in this area.”

All police are now expected to have received training.

Police chiefs said they were confident the quality of information provided would improve.

The report is up for discussion at a meeting of the executive board of Cumbria’s crime commissioner, Richard Rhodes.

It is being held at the force’s Carleton Hall headquarters, near Penrith, on Wednesday.