Reprimand for Home Office after counter-terror documents left at venue

The UK's data protection watchdog has reprimanded the Home Office after classified counter-terrorism documents were left at a venue in London.

Staff at the venue found an envelope containing four documents labelled as "official sensitive" at the beginning of September and handed them into police the next day.

The envelope contained two reports from the Home Office's extremism analysis unit and a counter-terrorism policing report. Also included was personal data of two members of Metropolitan Police staff and a “foreign United Kingdom visa applicant who is the subject of the documents”.

An investigation by the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) was then prompted.

The investigation found that the Home Office “failed to ensure an appropriate level of security of personal data” and for documents classified as “official sensitive”.

The ICO also found that no proper process was in place at the Home Office for signing out documents from its offices and that the Home Office should have reported the breach within 72 hours.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman was issued with a formal reprimand over the incident as the department's data controller.

Information Commissioner John Edwards said: “Government officials are expected to work with sensitive documents in order to run the country.

"There is an expectation, both in law and from the people the Government serves, that this information will be treated respectfully and securely.

“In this instance that did not happen, and I expect the department to take steps to avoid similar mistakes in the future.”