Perhaps confidentiality was assured, but its equally as embarassing to destroy data as it is to simply loose it. In this case at least it was only a limited amount of data- but a lot of it concerns fines paid for motoring offences and time sensitive documents that were to be lodged with the courts. So- potentially there are people out there who may end up with penalty points or summons over matters they legitimately considered closed. It may not be as bad as loosing millions of bank account details- but its inexcusable nonetheless.

Shane

...every court case starting with "Your Honour, I posted in the fine (in cash) around mid-November 2007. Didn't you receive it?"

Irish Creativity at ITs Simply Magnificent Best. :-)

An Advanced Restore Point ?

The only way to *prove* a bit of paper was shredded is to find the bits and reconstruct it.

Otherwise, you have a bag of shreddies and the shredder operator's word that they do not go home at night with their pockets full of other people's personal papers.

"We shredded it all" may in this case be a ruse to cover significant, targeted, data theft by bad guys who were targetting specific documents arriving at the Courts in that time window.

MP and Prime Minister shredder installed at the entrance to the House of Commons. That would be a better solution and then we can vote in a competent Government.