Pupils' data found at rubbish tip

By Michelle Archard » 


PERSONAL details of pupils excluded from school have been found on a landfill site. 

An Echo reader came across dozens of copies of letters to parents of students at Futures College, Southend, at a landfill tip in Barling. 

They show pupils’ names, addresses and dates of birth, with details of why they are being excluded and the length of the ban. 

The school, which says it paid a contractor to shred and dispose of the documents, has launched an investigation. The man who found the letters, who did not want to be identified, said: “This is disgusting. These parents are going to be fuming when they find out. I know I would be.” 

The man also found letters from solicitors dealing with house purchases. 

The Echo contacted the mother of one of the students named in letters from Futures Community College, which is in Southchurch Boulevard. 

Maria Dare, of Southchurch, was shocked that details of her 14-year-old son Kane’s exclusion had been left for anyone to find. She said: “You expect a school to be extra careful with details that involve a child. I don’t expect them to be thrown on a tip. 

“We’re always being told to shred anything with our personal details on. How come a school can’t? I’m in shock really.” 

Futures head Jean Alder said: “We pay a contractor to take confidential waste away and shred it, so we are launching an investigation into this. 

“We had a large amount of confidential waste collected at the end of last term. 

“We have to comply to the Data Protection Act and take that responsibility very seriously. I am really surprised to hear this has happened and will be investigating it thoroughly” 

The school could not provide the Echo with he name of the company paid to dispose of the letters.

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/3653637.Pupils__data_found_at_tip/