A STOLEN laptop which contained information on elderly and vulnerable people was taken from a car belonging to a senior council officer, The Northern Echo has learnt.

Middlesbrough Council had previously revealed few details about the theft, which happened last month.

It is understood the device was taken from a car belonging to Tony Parkinson, who is the council's head of performance in social care, and contained the names and addresses of elderly council service users.

There were fears criminals could target the individuals at their homes should the information fall into the wrong hands, although it is thought the data was properly encrypted.

Although the theft happened before Christmas, it was only made public last week - at the same time as more details were revealed of the theft of a further nine laptops containing details of up to 63 young people and their families.

The nine laptops were taken in a break-in at the Middlesbrough Teaching and Learning Centre.

High-level discussions had taken place involving representatives from the council and the police over last month's theft.

It was decided that the individuals whose information was contained on the laptop should be alerted before the theft was made public.

Council officials had also privately raised concerns about causing panic among people whose details were not on the list.

Ashok Kumar MP, who represents Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, said those responsible for investigating the theft needed to "get to the bottom" of what happened and he hoped the laptop would be recovered.

Mr Kumar said: "In response to the losses of data from laptops, nationally the Government reissued strict instructions to civil servants that all such material must be encrypted.

"I would hope that the council is doing this, and if it is not already with all their laptops, it should do so immediately."

In a statement, a spokesman for Middlesbrough Council said it had contacted those affected and made them aware of the circumstances and information held on the laptop.

The laptop contained no financial information, such as national insurance or bank details.

The spokesman said the authority would not be commenting further on matters relating to individual staff or information shared with clients, which was confidential.

He said the authority had already begun a full review of the "extensive information security policy" it had in place, extending to all aspects of information security and data protection and addressing relevant issues from the recent thefts.

A spokeswoman for Cleveland Police said: "We are investigating the theft of the laptops concerned and are working closely with the council to try to recover them."