Spreadsheet containing leaked PSNI data 'can be accessed within three minutes'

UTV has been told the spreadsheet at the centre of the PSNI's "industrial scale" data breach can still be obtained online within a matter of minutes.

With dissident republicans claiming that they have access to it, one former senior officer says those intent on killing police officers have been handed a gift of information.

Around 2,000 officers have already consulted the Police Federation about legal action.

"This material is publically available," said Roy McComb, former head of organised crime at the PSNI.

"I know from speaking to a colleague recently that he was able to access this information in its entirety within three minutes of making an inquiry.

"His motivation was innocent - if you are a terrorist with a motivation to harm police, or an organised crime member whose motivation is to harm policing, then you can access this information within three minutes."

The major leak of police data saw the details of some 10,000 officers and civilian staff published online.

Speaking after an emergency meeting of the Policing Board on Thursday, Chief Constable Simon Byrne said he's "deeply sorry" over an "industrial scale breach of data".

Details also emerged this week of the theft of documents including the names of over 200 serving officers and staff from a car in Newtownabbey in July.

Efforts are underway to work out who has got access to the data, but the growing feeling is that has become a futile exercise.

"The internet never forgets," continued Roy McComb.

"This information will flow, I think endlessly around different people's computers and servers, some of it may even be shipped overseas to places that it can not be recovered from, so I think this information is probably beyond the reach of being recovered by the police."

Some of those who have felt the most fear are officers from a catholic background.

Gerry Murray from the Catholic Police Guild says he fears the ramifications of this could be felt for a number of years.

He said: "Some officers within the Catholic police guild haven't been home or in the area for so long that they're worried about their families who reside in the area, and they're now trying to minimise their profile, while returning and going to work."

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