Data scandal victims sent apology letters

The private and sensitive details of SSHA residents were published on the organisation's official website and were accessible and editable by members of the public.

But SSHA chiefs are still in the dark about the level of exposure tenants suffered - admitting they don't know how many people saw the personal details, who exactly saw the information and for how long.

The organisation today confirmed it has sent out apologies to people it believes have been affected.

The letter was signed by chief executive Debbie Griffiths.

It read: "We regret that, whilst we have acted quickly and decisively in this incident, due to the nature of the internet we cannot be certain how many people have viewed the information.

"We also do not know the identity of those individuals. With this in mind, we recommend you remain vigilant about your affairs, and quickly report any suspicious or unauthorised activity involving your contact information to the police."

The letter went on to make an apology to residents.

"We can also confirm that no other data was visible, no emails were involved and customer accounts were not affected," it continued.

"Nevertheless, we appreciate that you will be concerned about the implications of this incident, and I regret any concern, embarrassment or inconvenience this may have caused you.

"We do take the security of personal information very seriously. We are investigating the root cause and any contributing factors that led to it occurring and taking steps to ensure that it cannot happen again."

Pensioners, cancer patients, the disabled and ex-police officers were among those whose information was shared on the webpage via the Contact Us page.

More than 3,500 private messages sent from tenants to SSHA were laid bare for all to see. They included complaints about neighbours using drugs, a man in Kinver revealing details of his disability and a South Staffordshire woman divulging information about a family member battling cancer.

But these were just a fraction of the scale of the private content seen online, with Stafford Borough Council also a victim of the blunder.

The error has drawn criticism from MP for South Staffordshire Gavin Williamson who described it as 'horrendous'. Mr Williamson has also demanded an investigation.

Janos Toth, the prospective Labour candidate for Cannock Chase, is another critic.

He said: "It is unbelievable and it is outrageous. It should never have happened.

"I have had a lot of residents coming to me upset by this and should the relevant body find they are in the wrong then they need to take responsibility. It is not good enough.

"There is no use offering a remedy to the situation after the damage has been caused."

The housing body removed the details last Thursday but SSHA is investigating how long they were available online.

It manages nearly 6,000 homes covering South Staffordshire, Wolverhampton, Cannock, Stafford, Dudley and parts of Shropshire.