SLOUGH Borough Council breached data regulations six times in three years, a watchdog has revealed.

Most notably, a breach which included a laptop, USB stick and paper files being stolen from a boot of locked car, was investigated and reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Big Brother Watch, a national watchdog, obtained the information after using a freedom of information act request.

It found the breaches happened between 2011 and 2014.

A Slough Borough Council spokesman said: “The number of data breaches we have had is small compared to some other councils. However, a single breach is one too many as far as we’re concerned.

“We have robust procedures in place to protect personal data.

“All of our memory sticks are encrypted and our remote systems are password protected. Training is mandatory for all permanent and temporary employees, and staff are regularly reminded about the importance of keeping personal data confidential.

“Should a data breach occur, swift containment and recovery of the information is vital, and we make every effort to minimise the potential impact on affected individuals. Each breach is fully investigated.”

Brighton and Hove City Council committed the most data breaches during the three years, with 190.