Stormont data breaches deeply disturbing, says ex-watchdog

Sensitive information being left behind in a restaurant and the possible disclosure of a person's former identity are among serious government data breaches in Northern Ireland.

New figures show there have been almost 50 breaches by Stormont departments during the past decade.

Almost a third were by the Department of Justice.

Several breaches by the Department for Communities were deemed to be "major incidents".

They included the loss of papers containing medical data and a member of staff inappropriately accessing their ex-partner's benefits information.

The nine Stormont departments said that where breaches occurred the cases were referred to the Information Commissioner's Office and action was taken to ensure information was deleted.

But a former government watchdog has said the data breaches highlight a worrying trend.

Felicity Huston was previously the commissioner for public appointments in Northern Ireland.

She said: "The government is insisting more and more that we go online and they collect vast amounts of our data that way - the least they can do is keep it safe."

Video journalist: Niall McCracken