Laptop containing UK railway workers info stolen

A laptop containing the personal details of thousands of Scotland's railway workers has been stolen from an accounts firm.

Names, dates of birth, pay details and National Insurance numbers of the railways pension schemes were on a computer that was snatched from the handbag of an employee of external auditor Deloitte in London.

Letters were sent out to thousands of affected workers in Scotland at the end of last week, warning them about the theft..

Members were alerted by financial services firm rpmi, who look after the railways pension scheme.

One shocked rail worker said: "I can't understand why anyone would have to take sensitive information like this home with them.

"It could take years before anyone knows if this information was used to steal identities - and by then it would be too late."

A Deloitte spokesman said the information was protected by passwords and security measures.

But rpmi client services director David Maddison warned that was not a 100 per cent guarantee data could not be accessed.

Data from other Deloitte clients, including BSkyB, was also on the laptop.