Almost 3,000 people in one part of Nuneaton were victims of a council data breach.
Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council admitted a data breach in which some locals’ information was sent out on an annual canvas email.
The Town Hall issued a statement on the breach, which it said a ‘limited number of individuals’ personal data’ was given out.
CoventryLive asked the Town Hall how many people were impacted and in which part of the borough.
It has been confirmed to us that those affected were electors in Arbury ward, it was just over 2,900 electors
The council has been quick to state that once it was aware that the administrative error’ had been made, officers took immediate action to investigate the cause and disable access to the affected link.
The council has said that those impacted by the data breach have been contacted and the incident was raised with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
What happened?
On Monday night (July 27), an email was sent to electors who had provided emails to the council’s elections team, inviting them to check the information held for their property and confirm or update those details as part of the annual canvas.
But the Town Hall said that, due to an ‘administrative error’, the email contained a link that revealed the recipient’s forename, surname, email address, and household-specific unique code.
In a statement, Tom Shardlow, the council’s chief executive, said “The council is required to update the electoral register periodically, and it is clear that, on this occasion, an unfortunate human error occurred during that process.
“I am disappointed that this error has happened and would like to offer my sincere apologies to those residents who have been affected and may be concerned by this incident. I am confident that this is an isolated incident.
“I want to reassure residents and elected members that the Council takes its responsibilities for protecting personal information extremely seriously. We are committed to treating residents’ data with the utmost care and respect at all times.
“I am reassured that, as soon as the issue was identified, officers acted swiftly to contain it, investigate the cause, and contact those affected. The council has also reported the matter to the Information Commissioner’s Office and followed the advice provided.
“A thorough review is now underway to understand exactly how this error occurred and, most importantly, to identify any additional safeguards needed to prevent a similar incident from happening again.”
He continued: “While we recognise that this breach will understandably cause concern for some residents, we would like to reassure the public that the issue has been contained and that protecting residents’ information remains a priority for the council.”
Residents with any concerns or questions are being urged to contact the Data Protection Officer by email at dpo@nuneatonandbedworth.gov.uk.
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