Heathrow Airport has been found gulty of serious data protection failings and fined by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
According to the BBC a member of staff lost a USB stick last October containing “sensitive personal data” which was later found by a member of the public. The airport was fined £120,000.
Unsubtantiated reports at the time claimed the USB included the Queen’s security and travel arrangements.
It was also claimed it included anti-terror details and safeguards for Cabinet ministers and foreign dignitaries.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said the memory stick, which contained 76 folders and more than 1,000 files, was not encrypted or password-protected.
The BBC said only a small amount of files contained sensitive information, including a training video that exposed the names, dates of birth and passport numbers of 10 people.
Personal data of up to 50 Heathrow aviation security personnel was also revealed.
Steve Eckersley, ICO director of investigations, said: “Data protection should have been high on Heathrow’s agenda. But our investigation found a catalogue of shortcomings in corporate standards, training and vision that indicated otherwise.”