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First it was Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, now it seems that the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has fallen guity of mislaying thousands of Britons' personal details, and this time it's some six thousand motorists who have been left at risk of identity theft.

According to reports, two computer discs containing details of drivers in Northern Ireland have gone missing after being posted to DVLA headquarters in Swansea. The discs contain the registration numbers, chassis numbers, make and colour of 7685 vehicles registered in Northern Ireland, together with the names, addresses and contact numbers of the 6000 people to whom they belong.

It’s a near-identical situation to the recent ‘Discgate’ fiasco, when HMRC lost discs containing thousands of child benefit records in the post, and as with 'Discgate', this confidential DVLA information was not encrypted.

Brendan Magee, chief executive of the DVLA, said: “We are deeply disappointed and I can understand why customers would be concerned. A review of how we transmit this information has taken place.”

He added that the discs were originally sent “in response to a safety recall from a number of manufacturers."

Affected drivers in Northern Ireland will be notified by post. Two helplines have also been set up for those concerned about the loss – 02870 341357 and 02870 341428.

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