Police National Legal Database breach leaks 135,000 records

A major database used by police forces across England and Wales has been breached, exposing the personal details of tens of thousands of officers and criminal justice professionals. The Police National Legal Database (PNLD) confirmed that information including names, organizations, and work email addresses was compromised and published on the dark web.

The security incident was identified on July 26, 2026. The PNLD, which is managed by West Yorkshire Police, provides legal reference material to all 43 Home Office police forces in England and Wales, as well as the British Transport Police, the Crown Prosecution Service, and other justice agencies. In a statement, the service said there is no evidence that passwords or other security credentials were accessed. It emphasized that the database is not a crime recording system and does not hold confidential information relating to victims, witnesses, or offenders.

The breach also affected Ask the Police, a public-facing question-and-answer service hosted by the PNLD. As a result, the names and email addresses of individuals who had previously submitted questions through that platform were also published online. All affected...