HMRC 'left business information on a park bench'

Date: 21st July 2008

Tax details about a number of small businesses were left on a bench in a park in Exeter, it has been revealed.

The BBC has learnt that information lost by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) was left on park bench in the south-western city of Exeter.

It is believed that the documents contained information about business, property and land values.

HMRC said that the documents did not contain any information that would be useful to fraudsters and added that it has since recovered the files. However, the office from which the data was lost regularly deals with capital gains and inheritance tax issues, the BBC noted.

Local accountants told the broadcaster they were "absolutely amazed" such information could be misplaced.

One accountant, Geoff Fraser, explained: "If we get involved in a tax dispute on a valuation issue with the revenue, they've got details of people's property, their name, their tax reference and their national insurance number.

"In these days of identity fraud, I would be outraged and amazed it would happen."

In recent months, the government has faced a number of questions about how its departments look after information relating to businesses and citizens in the UK.