CPS fined £200,000 over theft of laptops containing police interviews on 'graphic and distressing' crimes

The Crown Prosecution Service has been fined £200,000 by the data protection watchdog over the theft of laptops containing videos of police interviews.

The videos, which are linked to 31 investigations, many of them involving sex offences and violent crimes, were stolen from a residential flat that was being used as a film studio, according to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

Some of the interviews related to historical allegations against a high-profile individual.

The films were being edited by a private company in Manchester for use in criminal proceedings.

The flat where the films were being kept was burgled on 11 September 2014. Two laptops were stolen.

Although the laptops were password protected, the information on them was not encrypted and the film studio had no alarm, the watchdog said.

The watchdog ruled the CPS had been negligent when it failed to ensure the films were kept safe and had not taken into account the distress that would be cause if the videos went missing.

Stephen Eckersley, the head of enforcement for the ICO, said:

The police recovered the laptops eight days after they were stolen and arrested an individual in connection with the theft.

Following the theft the CPS reported the incident to the ICO and informed the victims and witnesses involved.

The ICO received complaints from three affected people.

As part its investigation, the ICO learned that the CPS had been using the same film company since 2002.