The Information Commissioner has concluded that the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive (Centro) was entitled to refuse to answer a request for information because it was vexatious under section 14(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The complainant had submitted 15 requests to Centro concerning the authority's financial relationship with four local bus companies. The Commissioner decided that the fifteenth request was vexatious because it imposed a significant and unreasonable burden on Centro; when taken with earlier requests, it had the effect of harassing Centro; and it was obsessive or manifestly unreasonable. This decision follows a significant number of recent cases in which the Commissioner has upheld a public authority's decision to reject a request for information as vexatious. It remains to be seen whether this will encourage other public authorities to rely on the vexatious request exemption in section 14(1) in the future.

Source: ICO press release, 20 February 2007; Decision notice, 30 January 2007.