CRIME VICTIMS 'DATA LOST IN POST

The personal details of more than 2,300 crime victims were lost in the post by Gwent Police, BBC Wales has discovered.

A CD went missing in May 2007, but the force said those affected were not told because it was decided their details could not be accessed.

Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to the four Welsh forces also uncovered cases of staff using police national computers without authorisation.

South Wales Police were the only force which refused to release information.
BBC Wales has referred South Wales Police's refusal to give details of security breaches to the information commissioner's office, which also rules on whether public bodies are implementing the freedom of information law properly.

Gwent Police said its CD had been sent to another organisation but, while the envelope arrived, the disc was missing.
It contained details of victims of theft, burglary and other offences, and was password-protected but not encrypted.

North Wales Police revealed that four members of its staff over a three-year period had accessed the police computer without authorisation.
This led to one employee resigning, the force said.

There were six other incidents of personal details being disclosed, either accidentally or without authorisation which led to warnings being issued to North Wales Police staff members.

South Wales Police would not release any details, arguing it would cost too much money because of the way much of the information was stored.