Aberdeen council faces legal action after kids’ records found in skip
Police probing ice rink files found in skip
Published:
A COUNCIL blunder which led to confidential children’s records being dumped in a skip could lead to prosecution.
Police have launched an investigation after personal information of hundreds of children was found in bins outside the Linx Ice Arena.
Grampian Police have been handed the files and will submit a report to the Information Commissioners Office.
The organisation could prosecute the council if it is found to have breached the Data Protection Act.
ICO assistant commissioner Ken Macdonald is understood to have contacted the council.
He said: “Any organisation which processes personal information must ensure that adequate safeguards are in place to keep that information secure.
“This is an important principle of the Data Protection Act.
“Clearly, where personal information is not disposed of securely, there is a risk that it can fall into the hands of criminals.
“The Information Commissioner's Office takes breaches of people's privacy very seriously and we will be contacting the council about this to establish further details.”
The ICO confirmed it has the power to prosecute organisations including councils.
Details in the documents included names, addresses, phone numbers and, in some cases, medical information about youngsters.
Sharon Duncan, of North Rayne, near Insch, said details relating to her 14-year-old son, Ruaridh, had been found.
She said: “I would imagine there would be a number of parents angry and looking for action.
“I think the council has to do its investigation and find out what went wrong — and be very clear what went wrong.”
Labour councillor Willie Young, pictured, has written to council chief executive Douglas Paterson asking how the incident happened and what safeguards would be put in place to stop any repeat in the future.
He said: “Let’s find out who is negligent here, if there has been negligence.”
The city council has launched its own investigation. A spokesman said the matter was being taken “extremely seriously”.
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