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My understanding is that if there is cause to believe you have committed an offence, however minor, you must provide your name and date of birth to police who require it. They often then ask your place of birth which will have been recorded if you’ve ever previously been arrested, or if indeed you have ever been arrested, to practically aid them in identifying your correct record on their database.

My understanding is that one would be within one’s rights to reply no comment to either or both of these two questions, but it may raise the suspicion or annoyance of the cop, creating difficulty for him or her to accurately identify you, in which case they may be slightly more likely to feel it necessary to take you in so as to accurately ascertain your identity as a practical matter.

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You don’t have to give your name or DOB unless and until the officer has described the offence they suspect you may have committed

However, once this has been done, you must provide your name, your DOB, your address, and what you are up to if asked. See this handy summary from the Mayor of London.

If you are arrested, you will be advised that you do not have to talk to the police but that failure to do so will count against you in court.

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