Liverpool City Council refers itself to watchdog over letters error

New letters were issued on Friday containing advice on how to destroy the originals

Liverpool City Council has referred itself to the data watchdog over a potential breach which saw thousands of letters sent with incorrect details.

On Friday, the authority apologised after 10,000 letters about how to claim energy rebates were sent out with the wrong names on them.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) had received a referral.

The council could face a fine or an enforcement notice over the error.

An authority spokesman said it was thought a breach of this nature was minor and would not require a significant punishment.

He added that staff had worked over the weekend to make the referral to the ICO.

An ICO spokesman said organisations must notify it of a potential breach "within 72 hours... unless it does not pose a risk to people's rights and freedoms".

He added that if anyone had "concerns about how their data has been handled, they can report these concerns to us".

New letters were issued on Friday containing advice on how to destroy the originals, as well as a reminder of how to apply for the rebate online.