Rape victims' files found in bin near Manchester canal

The client files which were found in a bin in Manchester are said to be 10 years old

Confidential files with details of rape victims and other crimes have been found in a bin.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and the Solicitor's Regulation Authority (SRA) are investigating why the documents were left near a Manchester canal.

Solicitor Kevin Nicholas said he was "baffled" why his clients' files were dumped not far from his office.

The files were handed to the Manchester Evening News by a member of the public.

Seventy-seven client files, which date back about 10 years, are said to include the names and details of rape victims and people accused of violent offences, including two 14-year-old girls who were witnesses in a sexually-motivated abduction and were being looked after by the Child Protection Unit.

'Potential data breach'

Mr Nicholas, whose firm Nicholas and Partners has been based in Manchester for 29 years, said: "I'm just baffled how they have got there, I haven't put them there."

He added: "I haven't seen the files which I have been told date back to 2008.

"I have just disposed of some documents by burning them."

An ICO spokeswoman said: "We have been informed of a potential data breach involving legal documents being found in a public place and will be looking into the details."

The ICO said it will be looking to see if the Data Protection Act has been breached, which can result in prosecution and fines of up to £500,000.

A SRA spokesman said: "Now that we have been made aware of the situation, we will make the necessary inquiries and take appropriate action where needed."