6,000 drivers' details lost
Tuesday, 11 Dec 2007 14:33
Thousands of drivers have personal details mislaid by Northern Ireland's Driver and Vehicle Agency
More than 6,000 people have had their personal data lost in the post by Northern Ireland's Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA).
The Department of the Environment (DoENI), which is responsible for the province's DVA, has admitted that motorists' addresses and the registration numbers, make and colours of 7,685 vehicles have gone missing in transit.
The two CDs had been sent to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in Swansea following requests from vehicle manufacturers.
"Letters have been sent to all registered keepers of vehicles involved," a DoENI spokesperson said.
"A special helpline has been set up if customers have any concerns. The numbers to ring are 028 7034 1357 or 028 7034 1428."
The unencrypted CDs were reported missing in a Coventry sorting centre.
Earlier today a Leeds building society was reported to have told staff it had lost their personal details, including bank account numbers, while last month it emerged that millions of child benefit claimants were affected by the loss of data records at HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
Commenting on the latest data loss row, shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers said: "It beggars belief that Labour is still losing CDs with thousands of people's personal data in the post.
"It looks like it has failed to learn anything from the HMRC catastrophe.
"Yet again we see Gordon Brown's government failing in its basic duty to run government competently."