LONDON — The government was reeling under a political firestorm Wednesday brought on by revelations that personal identity and banking details of 25 million Britons have been lost in the government’s internal mail system.
In what Treasury Chancellor Alistair Darling called a “catastrophic” breach, government officials admitted they have no idea what happened to compact discs that held birthdates, addresses, ID numbers and bank account details for nearly every family with a child younger than 16.
Financial analysts said the missing data could allow anyone who found it to apply for loans or mortgages under an adopted identity.
Child welfare workers said the loss compromised children’s safety by including names, birthdates and addresses of millions of children.
Banks were bracing for a flood of queries from account holders worried that their account security could be compromised.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown is taking a pummeling — mainly because two other significant security lapses have occurred in his five months.
“I profoundly regret and apologize for the inconvenience and worries that have been caused to millions of families,” Brown said after a blistering attack in the House of Commons.
