The bailiff took pictures of my belongings, valuables, jewellery or vehicle


When bailiffs take pictures of your belongings without taking control of them, it usually means they intend to return later and burgle your home, knowing the police place bailiffs in a class above the law.

You must report a bailiff taking pictures of your belongings immediately.

Enforcement regulations do not provide for bailiffs to take photographs of peoples belongings, documents or vehicles.

You have a right to give notice to the data controller for the bailiff company to destroy the photographs taken, and tell you in writing they have done so.[1][2]

If the data controller does not comply with your notice, then you have a right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO),[3][4] and you may recover material and non-material damages.[5][6]


Template Notice to Erase[1]

Send the Notice to the bailiff company and get a certificate of posting from the post office.

Give a copy of the Notice to the bailiff company by email and make a screenshot of the sent email capturing the time you gave it.

Send a copy of the Notice by text message to the bailiff to his mobile and make a screenshot of the sent text message to record the time you gave it.

Keep all screenshots for your file.



[1] Section 47 of the Data Protection Act 2018
[2] Article 17 of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)
[3] Section 94 of the Data Protection Act 2018
[4] Article 77 of the General Data Protection Regulations
[5] Article 82 of the General Data Protection Regulations
[6] Section 168 of the Data Protection Act 2018