A laptop, reportedly bought on eBay, had a Home Office disk inside it (file picture)
A confidential Home Office disk has been discovered inside a laptop by computer technicians, it was revealed last night.
Police are investigating the find, which came after a laptop, that was reportedly bought on internet auction site eBay, was taken in for service.
Staff at Leapfrog Computers, in Westhoughton, near Bolton, found the disk hidden inside the laptop.
A Home Office spokeswoman stressed that the disc was encrypted so members of the public could not access its contents.
Lee Bevan, managing director of Leapfrog, told Sky News: "We put the disc in the drive to see what it was but it was encrypted.
"The actual disc was hidden inside the computer itself.
"They seized everything really - that has been taken away. Me and some of my staff were interviewed.
"Luckily it has ended up in the right hands."
A Home Office spokesman said: "We understand that encrypted IT equipment has been handed to Greater Manchester Police.
"Both the laptop and the disk were encrypted, thus safeguarding any information that might be stored on them.
"Investigations are now under way. It would be inappropriate to comment further while they are ongoing."
A spokeswoman for Greater Manchester Police said: "A laptop has been recovered. Inquiries are continuing."
The find follows a number of embarrassing losses of information by government departments in recent months.
The personal details of 25 million child benefit claimants were lost when a HM Revenue and Customs disc went missing in the post.
That was followed by the loss of thousands of learner drivers details by a DVLA contractor and at least 168,000 patients were affected by NHS trusts' loss of data.
Source: Daily Mail UK, Feb. 28, 2008
Home Office disc is discovered hidden inside a laptop that was 'bought on eBay' 
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