The issue has remained highly contentious since, with the populist Reform UK party, which is leading in opinion polls, last week accusing police of covering up the immigration status of suspects involved in the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl in central England.

Police have been told to consider disclosing the ethnicity of suspects charged in high-profile cases, after facing mounting pressure over the details they make public.

Police forces have been told to share suspects’ ethnicity and nationality with the public after authorities were accused of covering up offences carried out by asylum seekers. The interim guidance by the National Police Chiefs’ Council ( NPCC) and the College of Policing,