West Sussex County Council is aware of the unauthorised entry by a member of the public to two county council buildings, Durban House in Bognor Regis and The Grange in Chichester, and the claims that documents containing personal sensitive data were found inside, with pictures of some of these documents being posted online.
Contrary to claims made online, neither of the buildings had been abandoned but they were unoccupied. Both buildings had been fully secured and were regularly monitored to ensure they remained as such.
The council is treating this situation seriously and is taking swift action to address it. Steps are being taken to confirm that all material stored is done so securely, with material held at these two locations being relocated while investigations into how access was gained are carried out.
A thorough review of security at all buildings in our estate will be completed as a matter of urgency and action will be taken where needed to safeguard against further unauthorised entry.
With regards to personal sensitive information in documents that were accessed, the council has reported the incident to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and will comply with all subsequent requests.
Sussex Police have been notified and the council will consider taking legal action against any persons involved in this or any other incidents of a similar nature.
Should anyone have specific concerns about the situation, please contact our Customer Service Centre:
- either call 01243 777100 between 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday
- or email: WSCCCustomerService@westsussex.gov.uk
