PSNI Chief Constable called before House of Commons committee over data breach

Chief Constable Simon Byrne has been called before a House of Commons committee to be questioned over the PSNI data breach.

It comes after information relating to all serving members of Northern Ireland's police service was mistakenly published online in response to a Freedom of Information request.

The PSNI has confirmed the list is in the hands of dissident republicans.

Details have since emerged of further data breaches, including the loss of a police officer's laptop and notebook which fell from a moving vehicle last week.

An independently led end-to-end review of the circumstances surrounding the data breaches has been commissioned.

On Friday, the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee said it will also investigate the leaks.

It said MPs on the committee "intend on questioning the PSNI’s Chief Constable Simon Byrne and Assistant Chief Constable Chris Todd on the process to protect such information and why it failed in the run up to the leak".

The committee says it will also hear from police representatives "on the impact of the breach on morale in the service and the concerns of and consequences for frontline officers and backroom staff".

The meeting will be held on 5 September.

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