Wolverhampton Council rapped over private information found dumped in skip

A MIDLAND council has been rapped for letting confidential documents
containing names, dates of birth and bank details get dumped in a
skip.

Hundreds of Wolverhampton City Council documents, most of which had
not been shredded, were fly-tipped at Ettingshall’s Spring Road
industrial estate in October last year.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) launched an investigation
when it emerged the waste included highly confidential information,
such as employment records and medical information.

The ICO ruled the blunder amounted to a breach of the Data Protection
Act and ordered council chief executive Simon Warren to promise staff
were better trained in the management of confidential waste.

A council spokesman said the documents were put into a skip that was
then stolen from behind locked gates outside Graiseley Healthy Living
Centre.

However, the ICO’s enquiries revealed council employees failed to
recognise the confidential nature of the information.

ICO director of operations Simon Entwisle said: “This breach
demonstrates how important it is that staff who handle personal data
have a good understanding of the need to keep it safe at all times.
The thought of people’s personal details being dumped on the street is
worrying enough, not to mention what could have happened if it had
fallen into the wrong hands.

“I’m pleased that the council has taken the necessary steps to ensure
that this type of breach does not happen again.”

Mr Warren said: “Following the theft of a skip containing confidential
waste we apologised to the members of the public concerned and I
immediately ordered an investigation. As a result, we have now
launched a confidential waste management policy.”