Northumbria Police pay out tens of thousands of pounds following over 100 data breaches in last 3 years
Figures obtained from a freedom of information request show that over the last three years Northumbria Police have had to pay out tens of thousands of pounds due to over 100 data breach incidents.
Police officers and staff have access to vast amounts of personal data, which can include information such as a person’s name, phone number, email or address.
As police forces have to keep extensive records for investigations, they are seen as data controllers under the Data Protection Act 2018.
Data breach incidents can occur where this personal data is destroyed, altered or lost either accidentally or unlawfully, which can potentially lead to a victim experiencing financial loss or psychological harm.
A freedom of information request submitted to Northumbria Police revealed that in 2022/23 Northumbria Police saw 33 data breaches take place before this number rose to 54 a year later (2023/24).
Over the last year (2024/25) Northumbria Police has experienced 50 data breaches in relation to personal information.
Some of the breaches have led to Northumbria Police having to pay out compensation. In 2022/23 they paid out £8,000 in compensation which rose to £13,500 in 2023/24. The last year (2024/25) has seen Northumbria Police pay out £24,250 in compensation claims.
It’s not a situation exclusive to Northumbria Police. According to a study conducted by VPNoverview in 2020, UK police forces suffered more than 2,000 data breaches across the year.
Bethan Simons, solicitor at JF Law, said: “Breaches don’t always have to be complex cyberattacks, as breaches can often occur from human error. This can include misdirected emails, documents sent to the wrong address, the loss or theft of devices such as laptops or USB sticks containing sensitive information, or even the accidental publication of data, as seen with several UK forces.
“Internal mishandling is another cause of data breaches, such as officers accessing data without authorisation or failing to redact certain sensitive details.
“To prevent these breaches, forces must prioritise data protection measures involving comprehensive training for staff on data handling protocols, encryption of devices, and strict policies regarding the sharing and retention of data.”
The freedom of information request revealed the two most common data breaches experienced by Northumbria Police over the last three years were emails being sent to the wrong addresses (119 incidents), followed by lost paperwork, which led to 8 breaches.
Northumbria Police have been notified that we will be publishing this article and we will be publishing their full response as and when it arrives.
Data Breach Claims UK offers support to those whose personal data was compromised in a police data breach and can see if they have grounds to submit a claim.