Boxes of personal data left in staff canteen at Wigan County Council

19 December 2007

Unite, Britain's biggest union has today written to Wigan County Council seeking an urgent investigation into how up to 20 boxes/bags of staff's personal data, including wage slips and accident forms were left in the canteen for up to two days.

The information covers staff employed in the cleansing, cleaning and transport departments at Wigan County Council. Unite raised the issue with management and the data has now been stored securely. The data covers the period from 1999-2006 and may include previous employees personal information.

The union is extremely concerned that the information was left in an area accessible to staff and the public.

Unite Regional Officer, Debbie Brannan says, "Understandably staff will be extremely anxious. We are requesting an urgent investigation into how this happened and reassurances from the local authority that protective measures will be put in place to assist employees that are concerned about the theft of their identity, including reassurances that nothing like this will happen again."