DORSET Police has revealed it is making positive steps in reducing the backlog of criminal record checks.

The police force has been criticised in the past for the delay in completing Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks.

In nine out of 12 months last year, Dorset Police failed to complete the target of 100 per cent of checks in 60 days.

The DBS is responsible for processing requests for criminal records checks. It's purpose is to help employers make safer recruitment decisions and avoid putting unsuitable people with vulnerable groups, including children.

The force said delays in processing applications had been caused by a turnover in staff and an increase in the volume of applications.

It reveals about 600 applications each week. Since March, however, this queue has been reduced by more than 62 per cent.

A spokesperson for the force said: "The national service level agreement with the DBS is to try and complete all applications within 60 days. We are now close to achieving this target.

"We are now dealing with the vast majority of applications within the required time frame. 

"Dorset Police understands the frustration which was created by delays and apologises for any inconvenience that had been caused. We fully recognise the impact that the delays had on people and employers.   

"We are fully committed to delivering the very best service possible in order to serve the community and protect children and vulnerable people.

"A number of steps have been put in place to address these issues and we have seen a significant improvement in our timeliness in processing applications. 

"The Force, with support from the national Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), have invested significantly by recruiting new staff and more than doubling the size of our dedicated disclosure team.

"In addition we have utilised weekend working and drawn in additional resources from other parts of the Force. Following the recruitment and initial training of the additional resources, those staff members have been focussing solely on tackling the backlog of applications.

"At the same time we have reviewed our existing working practices and have streamlined our approach to further improve our output of completed checks."

Martyn Underhill, Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “Exceptional demand created a backlog of applications which the force has been working hard to reduce.  

"During last year, things went badly wrong and I would like to apologise unreservedly to anyone who has experienced a lengthy delay. 

"A number of factors including staff turnover and the national Disclosure and Barring Service underestimating how many applications would be passed for processing, resulted in the delays.

“DBS checks are a complex area and it takes approximately eight months to recruit and fully train someone to process the application. I am pleased to say we have now employed and trained more staff, and reduced the backlog by 62%.

"If anyone is experiencing a delay which is preventing them from working, I would urge them to get in touch  with my office, and if appropriate, I will ask the police to fast track their application.”