Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council data breach impacts 3000 voters

Personal details of almost 3,000 registered voters in Warwickshire have been leaked in a personal data breach caused by an administrative error at Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council. The incident occurred on 27 July during an annual canvass to update the electoral register for over 70,000 residents.

Council staff updating the online elections portal sent an email to voters in the Arbury ward containing an erroneous link to a spreadsheet. The file exposed the names, email addresses, and personalised security login codes of just over 2,900 individuals, potentially enabling unauthorised access to the council's online system.

Chief executive Tom Shardlow apologised for the breach, confirming the link was quickly taken offline and that affected residents were notified. While describing the leaked details as low-level data, Shardlow acknowledged the error was unacceptable and committed to implementing double-check fail-safes. The council has launched an internal investigation and notified the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

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