Leicestershire police data breach incidents in the news

A number of Leicestershire police data breach incidents have been reported in the news recently. Police data breaches are always worrying, so it’s concerning to learn of these incidents.

With public sector data breaches often topping the charts in terms of the volumes of individual cases we take forward, this is a serious matter. The police computers and databases hold a wealth of incredibly personal and sensitive data about millions of people. In the wrong hands, leaks and misuse of such information can be severe for the victims.

Right now, we’re representing people who are claiming data breach compensation as victims of police incidents. News of the prosecutions and investigations into a number of incidents that stem from the Leicestershire force is concerning.

Spate of Leicestershire police data breach incidents reported

A spate of Leicestershire police data breach incidents has been reported in the news recently. The majority of the incidents involved employees misusing their access rights to police computers and databases to search for information about people without authority or reason.

This is similar to the many NHS data breach incidents that stem from the same thing: staff snooping.

Employees have reportedly misused police databases to obtain information about themselves and people they know, including current and former partners, colleagues and neighbours. One case involved searching for MPs and celebrities, which is similar to two famous NHS incidents of snooping on Sir Alex Ferguson and Ed Sheeran.

Another case involved a former special constable who was on sick leave reportedly going into work and using the police database to look up information about crimes in his ex-wife’s area of residence.

Consequences of police data breaches

The consequences of the Leicestershire police data breach incidents involve numerous fines, charges, and penalties in the hundreds of pounds. There has also been cases of criminal records and suspended jail sentences stemming from guilty pleas for numerous offences.

For the victims, we expect that they will have been informed that their personal and sensitive data has been misused. In addition to charges and penalties, victims of a data breach can be entitled to make a claim for compensation, and that’s what we represent people for.

Could victims of the Leicestershire police data breach incidents have a case?

Victims of the reported Leicestershire police data breach incidents can be entitled to make claims for compensation.

Where personal information is misused, victims can be entitled to damages for any distress and suffering that has been caused. With police databases often holding very personal and sensitive information, data breach compensation amounts can be high in some cases.

Depending on what information has been misused, and how this has impacted the victim, we may be able to offer No Win, No Fee representation.

GDPR compensation claims one year on

Know your rights when it’s a human error data leak