A COMPUTER disk containing the personal details of 2,300 Ministry of Defence staff has been lost.

Staff at Bicester Defence Storage and Distribution Agency and others across the country have now been sent a letter explaining the loss. The disk was reported missing in April and the loss tracked to Bicester.

An MoD spokesman said one explanation was the disk, which was not encrypted, had been destroyed along with a computer by secure contractors.

But the ministry cannot rule out the possibility of the disk having been taken off-site or misplaced.

An MoD spokesman said: “We regret this loss and we have apologised to all individuals concerned.

“There is no indication that the disk has fallen into the wrong hands.”

He said security measures had since been reviewed and tightened.

Bob Rollings, PCSU rep, said: “We are extremely concerned because no-one knows where this information is.

“They say it has been mislaid but could have been stolen – there is no evidence one way or another.”

Tony Baldry, MP for Bicester, said: “It’s frustrating, as every employer has a duty of care to protect the bank details and other employment details of staff and it must be possible to put in place straightforward protocols ensuring this information does not go missing.”