The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has stated it is investigating after piles of papers with extremely confidential UK military information were found along a street in Newcastle.

The documents include information relating to soldiers’ ranks, emails, telephone numbers shift patterns and weapon issue details, and information which appears to relate to accessing weapons storage and an intruder detection system. Much of the material appears linked to British Army regiments and barracks located at Catterick Garrison, in North Yorkshire.

The documents were found by a man from Gateshead who was parking his car.

In a statement, an MoD spokesperson said: “We are aware that documentation allegedly relating to the department was recently handed to the police.

“We are looking into this urgently and the matter is the subject of an ongoing investigation by Northumbria police.”

“Government guidelines recommend that sensitive documents be destroyed using shredders or “burn bags”.

Breach of Data Responsibilities

Almost all organisations such as the MoD hold a certain level of personal information about their employees and members of the public. With this personal information comes an understanding of privacy and acknowledgment that this information will remain secure in their hands.

Human or system errors can lead to personal information being leaked. While often done by accident, losing or sending private information to the wrong person can have devastating effects.

In this case, the nature and scale of the breach are still being investigated, but it is clear that a substantial amount of sensitive data has been affected. Whilst it is understood the information relates to soldiers’ ranks, emails and telephone numbers ,other information such as the individual’s names, addresses, national insurance numbers and medical records could well have been leaked.

Claims for Breach of Personal Information

Over the years, Farleys Solicitors have worked on behalf of a number of clients who have successfully claimed compensation when private information has been wrongfully disclosed. Our expert solicitors can advise you throughout the process as well as represent you in court should your claim reach that point.

There are a number of different organisations and individuals you can claim against for accidental disclosure of personal information. The most common are claims against public authorities such as the Ministry of Defence, local council, police, or social services.

Depending on the details of your claim, it may fall under any one of the following;

  • Negligence

  • Data Protection Act

  • Human Rights Act

  • Misuse of Private Information

Claims are most commonly made when the claimant has suffered loss as a result of the information being disclosed. This loss can come in the form of identity theft, financial fraud, the harming of employment prospects, or affecting personal security. More recent developments in the law have seen successful claims being made as a result of the claimant suffering emotional distress. A landmark case, Vidal-Hall v Google, awarded damages to the claimant for distress and anxiety caused by breaches in data protection. They did not claim for pecuniary loss or other material damage.

To speak with a Farleys solicitor that specialises in claims following accidental disclosure of personal information, call us now on 0845 287 0939, contact us by email, or use the online chat below.