MoD probe after data sent to firm

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The pallets were delivered on Tuesday morning

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said it is "investigating urgently" after confidential papers were delivered to a metal company in Derbyshire.

Staff at Swadlincote-based Lecky Metal Ornaments found 12 box files containing details about defence buildings, Royal Navy submarines and armoured vehicles.

The courier which handled the pallets, TNT, said they had now been sent to the right place and it was investigating.

The delivery was from Atkins, a design company which works with the MoD.

'Restricted information'

A spokesman for the engineering and design consultancy firm said: "We take matters like this very seriously and we are investigating this with our supplier."

The letters, contracts, plans and documents arrived by standard courier among other deliveries on Tuesday.

The correspondence, which included MoD compliment slips, had been clearly addressed to Lecky Metal Ornaments.

European regional manager for Lecky Metal Ornaments Mark Chambers, who was alerted to the delivery from Bristol by warehouse workers, said: "Obviously we were quite concerned with the contents of these boxes.

"After I'd opened the first box, there was a note inside that said: 'Do not open this box - restricted information', which you'd have expected to be on the outside."

An MoD spokesperson said: "We take any reports of this kind extremely seriously and we are investigating urgently.

"Until we have additional information about the data it would be inappropriate to comment further."