Humberside Police fined £130,000 over missing disks

An investigation by the information watchdog found Humberside Police failed to protect sensitive information

Humberside Police has been fined £130,000 for losing a video recording of an interview with an alleged rape victim.

Three unencrypted disks and paperwork containing personal details and health information were left in an envelope on a desk.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) said it was meant to be sent to Cleveland Police, but it never arrived.

The force said it "deeply regretted" the distress caused by the incident.

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Following an ICO investigation, the information watchdog said officers failed to encrypt the disks and didn't keep a "detailed audit trail" of the package, meaning it wasn't tracked.

It found the force's unit responsible for protecting vulnerable people failed to adhere to its policy on data protection.

Steve Eckersley, head of enforcement for the ICO, said: "We see far too many cases where police forces fail to look after disks containing the highly sensitive personal information contained within victim or witness interviews.

"Police forces deal with such sensitive information that when things go wrong, it's likely to be serious - this case shows how crucial it is to keep a clear record of what's been sent, when and who to."

Deputy Chief Constable Chris Rowley, of Humberside Police, said: "We have fully co-operated with the ICO throughout and have also acted upon the findings to ensure our data protection practices have been improved since the incident in 2015."