Investigation launched into data breach at Telford & Wrekin Council
"The people involved have been informed, and the breach is being investigated by the ICO”
A data breach at Telford & Wrekin Council involving the basic personal information of two people is being investigated by the Information Commissioner's Office, it has been confirmed.
Members of a council committee will be told on Wednesday (May 27) that the breach occurred in 2025/26.
A report to the audit committee said: "One data breach in 2025/26 met the threshold for reporting to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The ICO is investigating this matter."
A spokesperson for Telford & Wrekin Council said: “We can confirm that one data breach was referred to the Information Commissioner’s Office during 2025/26, having met the threshold for reporting.
"The matter related to the basic personal data of two people and did not involve any sensitive or financial data.
"The people involved have been informed, and the breach is being investigated by the ICO.”
A spokesperson for the Information Commissioner’s Office said: “We can confirm that we have received a report and are assessing the information provided.”
A council report to the committee read: "It is unrealistic to consider, given the amount of personal data council services handle on a daily basis, that human errors will not occur which may result in a data breach.
"Information Governance supports the investigation, with service areas, of all instances of alleged data breaches that are identified and referred to them.
"A data breach can cover a number of different incidents from a member/employee reporting a lost mobile phone to personal data being communicated to an unauthorised and/or incorrect recipient."
The report added that for each data breach identified in 2025/2026 a “thorough investigation” has been undertaken into how they occurred, and that any individuals invoved have been informed. Any lessons learned have been implemented to "reduce the likelihood of similar data breaches occurring in the future”.
The ICO said it only has to be notified of a breach if it is likely to result in a “risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals”.
The audit committee is being asked to note the information governance annual report for 2025/26.
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