Warwickshire Schoolchildren's data goes Missing

1.15.00pm GMT Wed 5th Dec 2007

Warwickshire County Council has lost personal information about 175 schoolchildren, some from Leamington.

Alan Beddow, Local Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Campaigner said, "It is simply unacceptable that the personal details of Warwickshire children have gone missing. This must be a real concern to the parents & children affected.

In my work as an IT Project Manager, I deal with many clients that handle sensitive data. Through good practice and common sense such incidents should never happen. My Mother, who worked for the civil service in the 1960's told me that they would hand deliver sensitive information tied up with pink string and sealing wax. Industry practice recommends registered mail as a minimum.

Recent cases of data going missing, including details of our children not only demonstrates sloppy working practice, it shows contempt for the value of our personal information."

A spokeswoman for the county council said, "This is an isolated but regrettable incident and we have apologised to parents, carers, young people and schools and assured them that we are taking every step to ensure they are kept fully informed of the situation. The data did not contain information of a financial nature and we believe that this is highly unlikely to lead to any breach of an individual's personal security or identity.

We would nevertheless recommend that parents are alert to any unusual mail or other communications relating to them or their child."