Staff details on stolen laptops

Two laptops containing the details of nearly 1,800 education staff have been stolen from an office at Manchester Town Hall.

The laptops were password protected but not encrypted. The information on the laptops included names, national insurance numbers and dates of birth.

The electronic door lock to the office containing the laptops was tampered with, a council spokeswoman said.

All staff affected by the theft on 30 October have been informed.

The incident has been reported both to the police and also to the Information Commissioner, the UK's independent authority for the protection of personal information.

Richard Paver, city treasurer for Manchester City Council, said: "We are currently carrying out a review of how personal information is stored electronically and also whether any further security measures can be introduced to reduce the likelihood of such a theft occurring in the future.

"Staff have been offered support and advice including the use of a credit reference support company that will allow them to regularly check their credit file and will automatically alert them to any unusual personal financial activity."

No information regarding addresses or bank details was stored on the laptops.