Personal documents dumped in the street (From Gazette)

Personal documents dumped in the street

12:00pm Thursday 25th June 2009 in News By Chris Wilkin

A investigation has been launched after a council admitted dumping confidential information in the street.

Tendring Council has launched the probe after a sack of documents containing pensioners’ personal details was discovered with residents’ rubbish bags in Frinton.

Resident Peter Colby watched in astonishment as a council worker put the bag of paperwork outside his home in Garden Road.

He went to investigate and found it contained expired parking permits and senior citizens’ railcards.

The railcards included Frinton pensioners’ names, postcodes and signatures.

A simple search on the internet can reveal the victims’ addresses and phone numbers in just minutes, creating an identity fraud risk.

Mr Colby, 62, took the bag back to the council offices, which were shut, and left it outside.

But an hour later, the sack was back outside his flat with the rubbish.

“It just didn’t seem right to me, so I went across to the office and confronted them about it and asked why they were throwing away this type of information,” he said.

“They didn’t appear to think there was a problem.”

Mr Colby made an official complaint to council bosses.

He claims he was told the council’s offices at the Triangle shopping centre didn’t even have a shredder.

“The woman at the council apologised profusely and said it wouldn’t happen again,” he said.

“When they said they didn’t have a shredder, I said ‘you’re joking – so you dump it on people’s doorsteps?’.”

“I offered them one of mine because I’ve got two.”

Mr Colby says the council told him it had been dumping rubbish there “for years”.

He said the confidential information on the documents could easily be used to commit identity fraud.

Council communications manager Nigel Brown said they apologised “whole heartedly” – and had done so to Mr Colby personally.

“We take any situation like this very seriously indeed, and it is a lapse which is not acceptable and has been addressed internally,” he said.

“Procedures are being fully investigated and instructions will be given to staff once that investigation is completed.

“Additional training is to be provided as a result of this particular incident, and staff will be further reminded of their responsibilities.”