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Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: Siely on Monday 08 December 25 19:04 GMT (UK)

Title: Police Archives
Post by: Siely on Monday 08 December 25 19:04 GMT (UK)
Thames Valley police have told me that I need to contact a "police historian" after I made an enquiry to their archives.

I'm seeking information on the death of a two year old boy who was killed by a car in 1966.

Why are the police redirecting me to others when they own the road traffic incident records ?
Title: Re: Police Archives
Post by: RJ_Paton on Monday 08 December 25 21:00 GMT (UK)
Thames Valley police have told me that I need to contact a "police historian" after I made an enquiry to their archives.

I'm seeking information on the death of a two year old boy who was killed by a car in 1966.

Why are the police redirecting me to others when they own the road traffic incident records ?

Because they probably no longer have the original record.
In almost all of the UK Police Forces, sorry Services, there was a weeding period for all documents held. This holding period generally varied between 7 and 12 years (all unsolved cases were usually held permanently).

Added this has changed dramatically in recent years with the move to digital records.
Title: Re: Police Archives
Post by: AntonyMMM on Monday 08 December 25 21:19 GMT (UK)
Look for inquest or newspaper records.
Title: Re: Police Archives
Post by: Siely on Tuesday 09 December 25 09:14 GMT (UK)
Thank you both.  No newspaper record seems to exists for the toddler's death in 1966.
This particular family (from Amersham) has a terrible history starting with the two year old younger son being killed , then the suicide of his elder brother, the sudden death of the father following the suicide and finally the murder of the mother by rebels while on holiday in Burma / Thailand.  Exceptionally bad fortune by any measure.