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Customer details in bank bin bags left out in street
BARCLAYS Bank left the account details of customers in bin bags lying overnight in one of London’s busiest streets and tried to cover up when a New Journal investigation revealed the lapse.
When questioned on Friday, a spokesman for the banking giant repeatedly denied it left bin bags containing paying-in slips, statement details and bank questionnaires in Tottenham Court Road in 2006.
But the evidence, seen by the New Journal, had already been disclosed at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, when the bank admitted litter charges brought by Camden Council and was ordered to pay £1,650 in fines and costs.
The chairwoman of magistrates hearing the case was passed photographs taken as evidence by Camden Council enforcement officers, including pictures of the contents of the bags. Sandra Forsyth JP remarked: “These appear to have account details on.” Stuart Hammill, the lawyer acting for the council, agreed, before pointing out that the bags’ contents were not relevant to the offence.
One of the photographs submitted as an exhibit showed a full bag of papers, on top of which is a completed paying-in-slip which appeared to have been crumpled up. Others showed what appeared to be completed questionnaires containing personal details of customers, and print-out statements recording transactions from a bank account.
But asked about the contents of the bags, a Barclays spokesman said: “To the best of our knowledge the evidence presented at court did not contain any of those items.” He added: “The paying-in slip was just a blank paying-in slip. (It) was devoid of information.”
A Barclays statement said: “Additional steps have been implemented to seek to prevent a recurrence. We would emphasise the security of customers’ money and confidential information is the highest priority.”
The council declined to release the pictures. A spokesman said: “Our legal department have advised we cannot release the photographs used in court due to data protection issues arising from some confidential information being visible in the pictures.”
Barclays pleaded guilty to three counts of leaving rubbish in bin bags outside its Tottenham Court Road branch in February and March last year. “The bank very properly and promptly changed the system when the problem came to light,” its lawyer told the court.
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