Head taxman quits after 25 million peoples' data lost

UPDATE It turns out 25 million UK citizens - that's over seven million familes - were affected by the loss of two disks which apparently have been "lost in the post".

Chancellor A Darling said that people won't lose out, and that banks and building societies will closely monitor the accounts.

This is the third security breach from Revenue and Customs this year. George Osborne, the opposition shadow, said this surely spelled the doom of the government's ID card notion. Darling said the breach was "inexcusable". He said it's a matter of "extreme regret" that so many people would suffer anxiety because of the breach.

THE CHAIRMAN of British government department Revenue and Customs has fallen on his sword after 15 million records of claimants for child benefit went missing.

The data was held on computer disks and includes all manner of personal information including names, addresses and bank account numbers.

Paul Gray, the Revenues & Customs chairman, did the honourable thing and fell on his sword.

The chancellor of the exchequer, Alistair Darling, will try and explain just what the government is doing to protect the identities of the people to the House of Commons in about an hour's time.

The disks were apparently being transported and this breached data protection rules.

The UK government has not a completely unblemished record with computers. The opposition parties are probably hoping that Alistair Darling will do the honourable thing too. µ