By Cheryl Wood

AN INVESTIGATION has been launched into the loss of personal details of around 50 teachers in a north-east Fife school.

Forms containing the home addresses, dates of birth, driving licence and passport details of the teachers went missing after Fife Council sent them to Disclosure Scotland.

The local authority insists the forms were sent recorded delivery on April 11 and were signed for at the other end on April 12.

However, Disclosure Scotland claims it received only three of the forms and on separate dates.

The staff concerned fear that the information—required to check their suitability for working with children—could fall into the wrong hands and be used fraudulently.

Although the loss does not involve bank details, a source said, “The information is very detailed and would allow any potential thief to cause havoc to the individuals involved.

“It might well be impossible for the staff to keep their current passports and driving licences if there is the possibility they have fallen into the hands of individuals who might use them in a fraudulent way.”

A similar case on a far grander scale occurred last November when computer discs holding personal details of all families in the UK who receive child benefit went missing.

The local branch of teaching union EIS has been alerted to the loss of the disclosure forms.

Spokesman David Farmer said, “A lot has been made in the press recently of the loss of personal information and we would see this as no different.

“We are concerned about the loss of personal information.

“If people have completed forms in confidence giving personal information, as they have, then they expect this to be secure. The council has given us a commitment this will be fully investigated.”

Education service manager Shelagh McLean said there were strict procedures for sending packages containing such information, including posting them recorded delivery and logging their dispatch and arrival.

“We are trying to find out what happened to ensure it doesn’t happen again and to help Disclosure Scotland find the forms,” she said.

“We are offering support to the staff affected and will be writing to them to allay any fears they have. In terms of minimising any risk to them we will be explaining what they should do in regard to this.”

In future, lists would be included with such packages detailing their contents, she said.

A spokesman for Disclosure Scotland said they had looked into the issue and had told Fife Council they had received only three applications, on three dates some six weeks apart.

“All applications received are scanned on receipt and entered immediately on to the disclosure system. There are no records of the missing applications on that system,” he said.

“Discussions are taking place with the council about establishing an audit trail for all future applications sent to Disclosure Scotland.”