Ok, so dirty tactic though it is, not much we can do about it if there's a valid and current debt behind it. I'll have to find out what they think I owe them, and if it's mistaken identity or the debt's over 6 years old then there'll be a battle on! Thanks guys, for the help.

Well done so far, in that case, and I have every respect for your efforts Brigadier! What are the chances of having these Table 1 searches removed under the approach that they are performed without one's consent? Perhaps by going as far as the Information Commissioner's Office?

The only thing I can think of is something from a joint business venture with a small shop that went wrong many years ago. There may have been a small bank debt left over (a couple of hundred pounds) which was supposedly written off. They would only have had my name and address to go off, and since my address has changed since this may be where it's coming from. Because I'm thinking of going for a mortgage decided to check my credit file, hence this. So, back to the issue though.. table 1 of a credit report is not quite as it seems.. describing this as an area only to record searches that are performed during a finance application process (and thereby directly with your recent consent) would no longer be correct.. it is now an area that any credit company, with a mind to, can access and meddle with search data with or without your direct consent? This is surely being used more as a tactic to bring unavailable debtors into the fold and get their attention, whilst in the meantime spoiling their credit file because the searches will be seen by potential lenders. Should these searches not be restricted to table 2 as this usage of table 1 was surely not what it's original use was intended to be?

Thanks Brigadier. I haven't even had any Credit agreements since 2001-ish. I've just looked on the Equifax Q&As and it seems they are allowing these searches to be entered, even though the person subject to the search has not initiated it or consented to it. See Q&A, here copied from Equifax.. What's an outstanding debt search?We keep a record of any organisations that have looked at your credit report, in line with the Data Protection Act.An outstanding debt search means that a company has tried to find you if you've left without clearing your debt.Depending on how confident the search is, it will show in either the Credit searches or Other searches section of your report. Any company who looks at your credit report will be able to see outstanding debt searches in the Credit searches section, but only you can see the ones in the Other searches section.Outstanding debt searches stay on your credit report for two years. So I suppose that's it then, they're there to stay or I need to enter the bureucratic nightmare of liaising with Equifax and the DCAs that put them there.. reading through these posts that sounds like it's going to be time consuming and frustrating. Am I likely to get any joy just trying to force Equifax to wipe them off?

I've got the same thing.. three searches on my credit report by Apex debt collection and one by Inter-credit International since last September with search reason "outstanding debt". They obviously think I owe them money, which I don't. They are showing on Table 1 of my credit report. Are these searches visible to other companies that may search my file if I, say, apply for a credit card? I did not give consent for these searches, so should they even be there?