Although most of the information contained in such Histories is retrievable from the national police database in the U.K., there is no information on the national database that predates 1981, and there are some localities with stand-alone systems that do not contribute to the national system at all.
Moreover, for reasons of sheer volume, London is no longer able to process requests from individuals that last lived in parts of England other than the capital. Thus, just recently, the Metropolitan Police have taken to informing individuals who write to obtain their Histories that they will have to submit their requests to the appropriate local office, each of which will have its own forms and procedures.
Therefore, instructions sent to all individuals who have resided in the U.K. for at least six months within the past 10 years should direct them to the Subject Access Office of the constabulary responsible for the last locale in the U.K. where they resided.