how obvious do they have to be, and if the name turns out to be genuine what sort of redress is there?

i only ask as i have recently come across one of our offshore IT guys named Phani Tickler!

and I'm certain most people have known a John Smith or Robert Brown

"i only ask as i have recently come across one of our offshore IT guys named Phani Tickler!"

and I once knew a Miss Ellie Phant. Her parents must have been cruel.

There was a Mr Brain as one of the teachers at school. Unfortunately he chose to teach in the same school as his brother -- and hence for purposes of distinction HAD to be referred to as "Mr P Brain".

Or indeed they may use a fake name, if the freedom of information request may cause a reprisal. If the information is supposed to be available why does it need to even be requested by anyone AT ALL, let alone only to a NAMED person?

There's another problem here, and that is that you've created an excuse for refusing to provide information.....

Surely if the same request come in then the second time is just a photocopy of the first time, not a fresh request!

There was a guy in the teaching hospital called Dr Death (pronounce day-ath).

Requests are needed because the information asked for often requires some research, not just finding a single document, and they don't want you walking into the office and digging through their files without asking. They need a name and address so they know who to send the information to once they've found it.

When they're replying to an email address?