That was basically my experience (albeit it in Scotland). Google were very reluctant to remove me under the "public interest" guise while I was still on the register but as soon as I came off I didn't receive any backlash from them. I did actually raise the query as to what their definition/criteria for "public interest" actually is but they wouldn't specify.

The only thing I can think of in cases like this is if the person is still on the SOR, they will use that to say it is still in the public interest. We've also seen on here that they seem to apply England & Wales rules across the UK.

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If you are to punish a man retributively you must injure him. If you are to reform him you must improve him. And men are not improved by injuries. (George Bernard Shaw)

This worries me. Why would someone on this forum seem to have no issue getting links removed. But then someone like yourself have a problem with getting removed. Ive not searched my own name and I wont till my SHPO is over. I just hope in just over a year the links have somehow vanished or im able to get them removed. 

I have had the same response twice from both Google and the ICO both saying there was still a public interest reason for not removing vigilante links to my name even though my conviction was over ten years ago and spent and my SHPO was dismissed five years early with the support of the police!

That's disappointing to hear but sadly not entirely surprising if I'm being honest.

I will advise a bit of caution around ICO. While this is anecdotal they ended up making things much worse for me and caused a sort of "Streisand effect" situation where they ended up reaching out to the websites (namely the vigilante stuff) saying "Hey, Khafka wants you to remove the stuff you're saying about him!" - which in those kind of circles I'm sure you could imagine how well that went over.

Nice to see the forums are working again

I replied to Google, included documentation to prove the outcome of the hearing that my SHPO was discharged.
I also quoted the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act to explain that the conviction is now considered spent and no longer in the public interest.

Google replied saying they will not be taking any action to de-list the links, as it is still in the public interest based on the case they have seen in said links.

I will fill out a new form entirely, providing further details as Google are no longer replying to my emails asking for clarification.
If that fails then I will have to take it up with the ICO

Best of luck, mate! I know how much of a pain it can be and was a bit of a relief once the stuff was removed for me.

As I said earlier on, any questions or whatever please don't hesitate to ask away. I'll try and help answer and help the best I can!

If you are going to be on the SOR for a while, then maybe the easiest option right now is just change your name by deed poll?

I am reading up some things to get better understanding, Rehabilitation Act, Solicitor websites who specialize in this kind of thing.

Once I have it all in writing to prove my point, I will send it all back to Google and see what they say then.

I may even put in a complaint to the organization who rejected me, I was under no obligation to disclose the conviction but forced it out of me anyway.

Yeah, you should be able to reply directly to that email. What I will say though is you're still subject to notification requirements (irrespective of the SHPO) then they'll almost always just tell you to jog on, that was my experience anyway.

As AB2014, once I came off the register there basically zero issues and the agreed to remove the stuff.