The Information Commissioner's Office has found that the Kent Police breached the Data Protection Act after documents containing personal information were stolen from an employee's car. As a result, the Kent Police have implemented new policies and procedures for staff member who access confidential information outside of the office. This includes ensuring that secure methods are used in transporting and storing any personal or confidential information. HE and FE institutions should take note of this case and examine their own policies and procedures to ensure that they are compliant with the Data Protection Act.
For more information about the Kent Police case, refer to: http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/pressreleases/2010/kent_police_enforcement_notice_press_release_180610.pdf or http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/10365185.stm.
For information on Data Protection, go to: http://www.jisclegal.ac.uk/LegalAreas/DataProtection.aspx.