We would like the Government to change the law to introduce a new, specific criminal offence of stealing a person's identity or data in order, for example, to commit fraud.

Currently, identity theft is not a specific crime in itself. Unfortunately, when it happens, a number of problems can quickly emerge. Some people may well find themselves being chased for payments they don't owe, their credit rating can be seriously affected and they could suffer reputational damage. We believe this law must be changed to allow the police to act against unscrupulous fraudsters as soon as the threat is discovered.