Andrew Glover reports:
Widespread personal data loss by North East councils has put thousands of people at risk of identity fraud.
Lost laptops, missing memory sticks and bundles of post sent to wrong addresses have put delicate private details in the wrong hands.
A Freedom of Information Act request revealed a catalogue of potentially dangerous security lapses including:
- Northumberland Council losing a memory stick containing pension and payroll details for teachers months after the National Insurance numbers of more than 6,500 pensioners were sent out on a newsletter.
- A file with information about children in care in Newcastle going missing while in possession of another council.
- Access codes for homes of vulnerable adults in Newcastle being picked up in the street as a contractor got into his car.
Read more of the details on ChronicleLive.